Design Thinking for People Management duirng Pandemic Era

People in current pandemic era are under some form of lockdown who are exploring new phenomenon, which are unprecedented and unknown. This covers social, economical, physical, psychological and above all exploring possibilities in a technology dominated environment.

As a persona at an exterior level, we find people are calm and composed while they are bottled-up inside with frustration and confusion. There is a constant battle in mind regarding what is #Normal whereas the duress lays a green field for innovation besides building on the aspirations of many which remained in the backburner, due to work pressure.

The creative mind of each individual had started knocking not only as survival for many, it is also an opportunity for them to take leap, to improve which they were eager to design for a while with both human-centric and business-centric approach. An innovative wayvto consider pandemic era encompasses a #DesignProblem, to enable the #PeopleManagers to mitigate stress level due to unknown future of work, while combating with most pressing issues of business. The creative and problem solving mind of progressive leaders prompts them to craft the possible solution by following the designer's toolkit and the overall process flow.

Empathy: Understand business need through building blocks on #NewFoundation with help of people who lean forward with an attitude of a #crisismanager shouldering responsibilities to turnaround the situation as opportunity for the organization, by reinventing the relevant skillsets.

Definition: Companies in many sector were envisioning the workplace survival, even much before pandemic crisis. The new age industries had already build that DNA of its people which comprises ambiguity management and be solution oriented. In order to devise solution, recognition of the problem or issues in advance is imperative.

Ideation: "Necessity is the mother of invention" Indeed this is true in light of many such crisis situation eg, Demonization in India empowered many to be change ready, the penetration of this new project by government where no choice was given to the countrymen other than following the need of the hour. People learnt to be resilient and accept new being open mind. That's the first stage of step up to explore, generate new idea to devise a concept suitable to new requirement. This stage fulfills the need to experiment with new possible solutions to reshape, reform, rebuild to match #NewNorm.

Prototype: Mitigation of risk of impact at large scale, inclusion of damage control framework, building the path to learn from mistake, as a next step of experimental ground is the crucial requirement. A sampling is known as the best process to understand the reliability and validity of a new idea. While people managers deliberated with new policies and guidelines to respond to the changing environment, it became imperative to survey with the critical mass, take feedback and apply for all which is still a journey for many.

User-Test: The demand to reframe the policy for people to operate in an organization once taken through the above steps obviates proof of concept. Some of which can be achieved through survey and implementing on some group of people then executing at a holistic level in an organization.

Yield as #feedforward: We may step back and think hard whether pandemic era is prompting us to reinvograte, move the needle from traditional thinking about work, workplace and workforce. Is it enabling us to be innovative, to manage productivity and bring in a new dimension of people managmement. The answer is "Big Yes" we firmly believe, this disruptive time is encouraging people to look outside the box, break the boundaries of our work eviornment to progress in a #NewFuture. Implementation of #DesignThinking in people management with step by step approach possessing the right mindframe to bring advantage would be imperative formula being effective in a workplace.