Rethinking the Use of People, Processes, and Technology in a Perplexing Business Climate

While some organizations have their challenges and uncertainties about how to navigate 2023, others have chosen to see the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity as opportunities, and thus have forged ahead with a strategic agility approach. According to the 2022 Global Workday survey, some organizations have chosen to move forward with what they know to be reliable even if their processes and functions are misaligned. For example, 49% of leaders who responded to the 2022 Global Workday survey contended, “an inability to connect operational, people and financial data to business outcomes impairs agility.” These misalignments can negatively impact investment in organizational talent. Some organizations may be asking, “given reductions in budgets and headcount, what are we to do?” Organizations will need to rethink how work gets done and novel approaches to developing the talent who does the work. There’s been much interest and concern over the use of various technologies and how to operationalize them to maximize the benefits to the organization.

As organizations execute their strategic plans, they will need to contend with operational flexibility to account for uncertainties and the need to accelerate change. However, what does not change are the basic needs of employees, the need for continuous learning and development throughout their employment life cycle from recruitment to retirement. There are novel approaches that organizations are using to maximize their talent and organizational resources by using technology to customize learning programs for employees. Research shows that some organizations have incorporated gamification into talent management, employee engagement, and performance programs. According to analysts, employees are predicted to increase their use of the Metaverse from 1% to 10% by 2025 for needs such as employee training and development and to showcase their talent. Some industries are reimagining the use of augmented reality (AR) for high-risk jobs such as mining, shipping, and remotely monitor machines. Is your organization’s plan strategic and agile?

References

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Wade, M., Joshi, A., & Tercino, E. (2021). 6 principles to build your company’s strategic agility. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2021/09/6-principles-to-build-your-companys-strategic-agility.

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