Skills you'll need to succeed in post coronavirus world

The Covid-19 crisis has forced many of us to quickly change how we work and adapt to previously not-so-popular ways. Initially, we had fears that the pressure of working from home and still keep our companies running will be unsustainable. However, this crisis has forced companies to face a learning curve, adapt to agile principles, address talent gaps and devise blueprints for long-term changes. The future is no longer what we had imagined but we have to find the silver lining. What have we learned so far?

Learn, unlearn and re-learn

The future is riddled with a lot of unknowns yet we have to stay relevant. How life will change at the work place does not necessarily translate to a bad thing. However, as companies need to close talent gaps, we need to remain relevant to fit in the competitive job market. Continuous learning directly reflects on the results. Remain open to learn, unlearn and re-learn. For you to utilise the skills obtained after a transformation, you have to go through the process itself; you have to be part of the constant activity. The skills have to match the purpose. There is no better time to keep an open mind and learn as much as you can.

Creativity is essential across industries

Even though automation is rapidly increasing, there is still need to involve the human’s unique ability to reason and think outside the box. Such ability is essential for innovation and evolving the business landscape to build resilience in the face of future adversity. Companies need to tap into the creativity of their employees to steer them through tough times. Your contributions and inputs should add value to your company, clients, family and, most importantly, yourself.

Leadership is not reserved for managers

We often regard leadership as a competence of managerial roles. However, your ability to project sound decision-making with confidence will align with your co-workers’ strengths and work style. To effectively demonstrate your leadership skills, you need to understand your own strengths and pinpoint areas where your weaknesses pose a threat to productivity. The over reliance on managers to find solutions to every problem contributes to redundancy. Learn to brainstorm on many possibilities. Initiate action, motivate and provide guidance to your colleagues.

Digital engagement

Whether a brand stays in business will largely be determined by how they connect with their customers. Digital skills in brand building and online presence are becoming increasingly attractive to employers. With the economic hardships engulfing small and medium companies’ marketing funds, social media offers a more versatile and cost-effective strategy for customer engagement. Increasing brand recognition by displaying compelling content to the target audience makes the company seem more accessible and builds the brand. When customers and potential investors are acquainted with your company through engaging content, inbound traffic increases.

Tech Savviness

Whether you work deep in a manufacturing plant or sit in front of a computer all day, you need to get comfortable with emerging technology tools. Virtual working is just one of the many ways companies are adopting to become more resilient to disruptions. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in our workplaces and employees, young and old, have had to help their companies exploit technology options. This major paradigm shift will cause a huge technology gap between the evolving technology-driven workplace and employees stuck in the traditional ways of doing business. We are heading to interesting times when digitalisation will not be a choice anymore. Companies will not have the luxury of waiting for too long to bring technology tools into businesses. The high rate of adoption of digital tools will force our workplaces to evolve or slide into extinction.

Service-orientation

As the pandemic continues to bite, we have seen companies evolve to more engaging mobile platforms to keep their customer base. This level of service orientation allows key persons to formulate models that predict what customers may need in the near and far future. The anticipation of customer needs and ability to meet their expectations is essential in maintaining and increasing the customer base. Placing your company a few steps ahead will not only give you an added advantage in a competitive industry, but it will also help in finding solutions to potential problems.