Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 03
May/June 2020 // Canadian Government Executive / 7 Leading by example in the new world of work For the reboot to take hold, executives will have to lead by example with re- spect to virtual work to show that it can be done productively. This means reduc- ing return-to-workplace congestion and finding opportunities for cost savings and paper reduction. Employers should also be mindful that, even with the best planning, there will be both negative and positive perceptions by employees as they re-enter a new world of work. • Workspaceswillbecomemoreclinical: Organizations will need to remove per- sonal items and more carefully choreo- graph worker entries, exits, and move- ments throughout the day. This could feel scripted and make people feel constrained. • There may be no going back: Organi- zations have seen huge benefits from virtual working and are considering these arrangements on a permanent basis. They’re seeing productivity gains and a move to paperless processes. This flexibility and innovation in the work- place is something that will continue to be sought after as we reboot. • Staying the course: As we reboot, man- agers and executives will have to work hard to help their teams avoid sliding backward and returning to practices that could erode digital gains. Using new digital practices and helping em- ployees continue to upskill is another benefit of rapid digital transformation. • Be well, work well: Organizations should continue to foster and develop a culture of work-life balance. There has been a mind shift, which includes looking out for each other, not coming to work when sick, checking in with colleagues that you might not have an opportunity to “see” during the day, and much more. Changes in HR policies across industries to reflect the new return to work reality are sure to become part of our reboot. All of this comes down to being flex- ible—having scenarios and making sure you are planning and building on a number of them. It’s essential to plan for potential hotspots, ask what hap- pens if different sites experience a wave, consider what happens if technology doesn’t work, and plan for what happens if things fail. Keep transformation goals in sight As we navigate the next steps in a reboot, we’ve heard from many public sector cli- ents that COVID-19 has accelerated digi- tal transformation—and that this must continue. “We’re not going back to the way it was before” has been a common sentiment. Leaders across the public sector are indicating they will be looking to maintain digital-transformation gains. Now that Canadians have experi- enced the speed and convenience of digital-first interactions, citizen expec- tations have evolved. But this also pres- ents an opportunity for governments to accelerate virtual workforce capabilities to continue to serve Canadians in inno- vative ways. The pandemic has been a catalyst to ratchet up workforce adop- tion of digital tools. Organizations will need to support employees to keep newly developed habits and excel at digital work whether it’s on-site or not. But mental exhaustion and transfor- mation fatigue are real threats. It’s crucial to remember to look after your employ- ees’ well-being, but even more so now. Many people aren’t benefiting from their usual office connections, and without a proper vision to overcome the risks to employee well-being, the mental and or- ganizational costs can skyrocket. Make sure you focus your plan on the needs of workers and how to manage the adoption of changes. It’s important to be in tune with employee sentiments and consistently demonstrate ways of work- ing that you want your team to embrace, including promoting a healthy work-life balance. By embracing healthy habits, you make it acceptable for your team to do the same — and there’s a big payoff. Returning to the workplace isn’t just about bringing people back into physical spaces; it’s also about finding opportuni- ties to adjust business models and work- force structures to thrive in a new era. Governments around the globe are go- ing through the same process but are at different stages in the journey. An effec- tive plan should address the four key pil- lars as mentioned above, but our reboot can also incorporate relevant, global ex- periences and lessons learned. Through protecting, planning, preparing, and re- visiting, we will emerge as a stronger and more resilient public sector. Lesley Ireton is an Ottawa-based Di- rector in PwC Canada’s People and Organization practice. Working with clients in the government and public sector for over twenty years, she helps design and implement organizational transformation, improve workforce ef- fectiveness, and define the correspond- ing people activities and leadership capabilities needed to achieve results. (lesley.ireton@pwc.com ). © 2020 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the Canadian member firm, and may some- times refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. Transition incident management team As your organization brings people back to the workplace, it’s important to establish a team to address issues as they arise and make sure lessons observed during the crisis are baked in. An incident management team partners with in- ternal leadership to anticipate, identify, and resolve issues in a coordinated way. The incident management team serves as the central repository for all return-to- the-workplace issues and incidents, with authority and responsibility to: • track and log all issues, distilling risks, opportunities and trends that could impact the return-to-the-workplace strategy or the organization’s broader response effort • coordinate information-sharing across transition workstreams and align ef- forts with leadership • communicate existing risks and response/mitigation activities across the orga- nization • escalate risks and issues that require leadership decisions and action • execute issue response and risk mitigation plans to facilitate a successful tran- sition effort
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