Revised Edition of "Leadership in Disruptive Times: Negotiating the New Balance" (2023) published by Business Expert Press (BEP) LLC, New York.
Prof Sattar Bawany CMEC
Board Advisor, Certified CEO & C-Suite Master Executive Coach, Author & International Keynote Speaker on Crisis and Disruptive Leadership in the Digital-Driven Era
The Disruptive Leadership Institute (DLI) and the Centre for Executive Education (CEE) are pleased to announce that the Second Edition of the book "Leadership in Disruptive Times " to be published by Business Expert Press (BEP) LLC will be launched and made available globally on 1st October 2022.
???????????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????????? ???? "???????????????????? ???? ???????????????????? ??????????: ?????????????????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????????" (????????)
The world is facing significant disruption and increasingly urgent global challenges affecting individuals, families, organizations, governments, and society. This VUCA-driven (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) age of disruption brings new complexities, opportunities, as well as risks for businesses. The potential for crises has intensified, driven by rapid technological change due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and amplified by societal expectations linked to environmental, social and governance (ESG) phenomena.
Throughout the COVID-19 response, we’ve seen an acceleration of these trends. We have seen how some businesses have been successful in looking beyond the pandemic and into recovery, while others have failed and many perished, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
A crisis is the turning point in an unexpected event – the point at which the outcome of an emergency or disaster turns either better or worse. Remember that during a crisis, it’s more likely to be “business as unusual” rather than “business as usual.”
As the world becomes more complex and connected, the threat of a corporate crisis grows. There are instances everywhere: we have experienced first-hand how when a pandemic spreads worldwide, it caused massive global business disruption and a public health disaster; a corruption scandal causes a corporate leader to step down; the sudden death of a CEO without succession planning in place; a data breach shakes customer confidence; quality issues trigger a widespread product recall. These are just a few examples among many of the recent corporate crises.
Organizations face challenges that present varying levels of severity. But handled poorly, even a seemingly minor shock has the potential to escalate into a crisis that threatens the viability of a business. A crisis can disrupt operations, damage reputations, destroy shareholder value, and trigger other threats.
As the business community has learned through the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever for leaders to anticipate and plan for the possibility of an unplanned event. The more prepared you are to manage shocks, the less likely you’ll fall victim to the serious harm a crisis has the potential to inflict.
Whereas risk management is traditionally a proactive discipline, crisis management is reactive. Crisis management can be viewed as a specialized discipline within risk management, where specific practices are instituted in response to unexpected events that threaten a company’s stability. Having an effective plan and resources in place mitigates the destructive nature of that reactivity.
Crisis management is one of several interrelated core disciplines comprising enterprise risk management, along with emergency preparedness, disaster response, business continuity planning, supply chain risk mitigation, and cyber liability prevention. Crisis management practices can help lessen the magnitude of emergencies and disasters while decreasing the uncertainty and anxiety associated with these events.
Since the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lives and livelihoods was published in the book "Leadership in Disruptive Times " (Business Expert Press, 2020), the key question that many leaders globally have consistently asked is:
“When will the COVID-19 pandemic end and what would the 'new normal' or 'next normal' looks like?"
The coronavirus has created a humanitarian crisis in our lifetime and has become a devastating and disruptive impact on the most vulnerable populations in every community globally.
We have seen how leaders need to balance the need for protecting the health and safety of employees, partners, and communities; at the same time, they need to ensure the sustainability of their businesses.
The pace, duration, and impact of the COVID-19 crisis have been nearly impossible to calibrate. For most businesses, a decline in revenue is inevitable. But the response to that decline isn’t as simple as a corresponding reduction in headcount. Businesses will have to work hard to preserve production capacity.
Effective leaders during this crisis have demonstrated resilience, mental & result agility, more empathetic leadership, more cognitive readiness & creativity, and more attention (mindfulness or being present).
The businesses that immediately opt for the capacity reduction lever will find themselves at the back of the pack when the COVID-19 virus becomes endemic in the 'new normal'.
This Second Edition of "Leadership in Disruptive Times: Negotiating the New Balance" will provide insights into the following questions and serve as a guide for leaders in managing near-insurmountable challenges both now and in the future:
?????? ???????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????????????? ????????????????????????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ???? (?????? ?????? ?????????????? ????) ?????? ?????????????????? ????????????/????????????:
1. Lessons in Navigating Leadership & Organizational Challenges during a Crisis and Disruptive Events: The "C.R.I.S.I.S." Leadership Model
2. The Business Imperatives and Best Practices in Leading and Transforming the ‘New Normal’ Workplace.
3. Case Studies of Successful Organizations in ensuring Leadership Readiness for the era of Disruptive & Digital-Driven Future of Work.
For further information and Pre-Order of the Second Edition, please email us at [email protected] or via WhatsApp at +65 9002 3848.
?????????????? ????????????: ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????? (??????) ???? ???????????? ???????? ??????????????????????
The new business reality is that there will be several challenges concerning the new world of work (WOW) that organizations are expected to face as we enter the?'new normal'?or?'next normal'?era of the endemic phase of COVID-19. Just as organizations across the globe went fully remote at the start of the pandemic, many organizations now need to build a successful hybrid work model—or risk losing their employees.
A hybrid work model allows some employees to work on-site while others work from different locations:?work from home (WFH) or work from anywhere else (WFA).?It’s about adapting work to how teams operate best and creating experiences that are as inclusive and reach as many people as possible. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to the new world of work, and how we work best varies dramatically according to our personal preferences. That’s where the hybrid work model comes in, which includes combining office and remote work. Some companies have been working in a hybrid environment well before COVID-19, but many others are struggling to iron out all the particulars with this model.?
?????????? ??????????????, ?????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????? "???????????? ??????????????"
" ......the reality is close to 70% of the people say they want flexibility. At the same time, 70% also want that human connection so that they can collaborate. So therein lies that hybrid paradox."
"Interestingly enough, if you look at the other sort of confounding piece of data: 50-odd per cent of the people say they want to come into work so that they can have focus time. Fifty-odd per cent also want to stay at home so that they can have focus time.
So, the real thing I would say is right now, it’s probably best not to be overly dogmatic. Because I don’t think we have settled on the new norms.
These norms have to settle so that then we can have real causal relations that settle. And then we can understand what are even the broad contours of productivity flexibility."
Satya Nadella in the interview with Harvard Business Review (HBR) "Microsoft’s Satya Nadella on Flexible Work, the Metaverse, and the Power of Empathy"?published on 28 October 2021, which is available at?https://hbr.org/2021/10/microsofts-satya-nadella-on-flexible-work-the-metaverse-and-the-power-of-empathy.
In the latest Forbes article?"Fed-up managers declare WFH is over, as 77% say they’d fire you or cut your pay for not coming back to the office"?published on 8 April 2022, companies like Goldman Sachs, have been hardline with everyone coming into the office.
We have seen in the past year that many companies that adopt such a stance have lost talent as employees began asserting that they are not going to work at that company or in that industry if they’re not going to be allowed to exercise any flexibility in their professional and personal life.?
This is a new reality in an era where employees have experienced a different way of working, a different way of connecting with their colleagues and bosses, a reduced level of stress from the reduction of long commutes for some and saving more money for others. The fact is that many employees have a positive experience of it that they are now demanding it and want it.
The views expressed by former Google CEO and chairman Eric Schmidt, in the article, saying that "it's important people be at the office and he's happy the remote era seems to be ending" is misplaced.?Microsoft's 2021 Work Trend Index ?outlines findings from a study of more than 30,000 people in 31 countries which have revealed that over 40 per cent of the global workforce considered leaving their employer last year hence this necessitates a thoughtful approach to hybrid work which will be critical for attracting and retaining diverse talent.
In the latest Report of?Microsoft's 2022 Work Trend Index ,?one thing is clear:
"We’re not the same people that went home to work in early 2020. The collective experience of the past two years has left a lasting imprint, fundamentally changing how we define the role of work in our lives. The data shows the Great Reshuffle is far from over. Employees everywhere are rethinking their “worth it” equation and are voting with their feet. And as more people experience the upsides of flexible work, the more heavily it factors into the equation. For?Gen Z and Millennials, there’s no going back. And with other generations not far behind, companies must meet employees where they are."
As leaders puzzle over how to make 'hybrid work'?work, big questions loom: What is the role of the office? How do teams build social capital in a digital-first world? The challenge ahead for every organization is to meet employees’ great new expectations head-on while balancing business outcomes in an unpredictable economy.
To help leaders navigate the uncertainty, the 2022 Work Trend Index outlines findings from a study of 31,000 people in 31 countries, along with an analysis of trillions of productivity signals in Microsoft 365 and labor trends on LinkedIn. While we’re all learning as we go,?the findings reveal ?an urgent opportunity—and responsibility—for leaders to approach the transition with intention and a growth mindset, or risk being left behind.
The new book,?“Leadership in Disruptive Times: Negotiating the New Balance” ?(Business Expert Press, 2022) is scheduled to be out on the market in October 2022, features several best practices case studies of leading global organizations including?Microsoft.
???????????? ?????????????????? - ???????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ??????.?
With more than 175,000 employees across 74 countries, Microsoft was faced with an enormous number of people impacted during the onset of the pandemic?and the world of work largely moved to a remote setting. From creating connections in virtual environments to scrambling to keep up with quickly changing employee needs, the organization acted promptly to address these challenges. What are its key success factors?
Microsoft is undoubtedly one of the great places to work and its CEO, Satya Nadella acknowledged the importance of "empathy" as the cornerstone of the organization's customer-centricity approach also in how it deals with its valued resources, and employees. In the US,?this would include special support for caregivers and employees of color, including training and encouraging managers to talk about their own experiences. They have successfully infused more flexibility in scheduling, location, and childcare arrangements to create room for more caretakers, women and returners to the workforce.
Microsoft employs about 22,000 managers, who became even more critical during the pandemic. In particular, the organization leaned on its managers to help acclimate the 25,000 new hires it brought on since the pandemic started, finding that new hires relied on managers for onboarding assistance 20% more during this time. In the HBR interview, Nadella articulated the importance of helping managers really recruit and retain talent through a framework called?“Model Coach Care.”?
"Everyday practice of great management is super important. That’s on the manager's side. Then on the employee side, we are doing everything we can to help employees feel that connection to the company’s mission and their coworkers– and coworkers both in terms of strong ties and weak ties. Because one of the fantastic things about having, let’s say, a campus like the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington, was you come to campus. You work with your immediate team. Those are strong ties."?As a result, those with managers who were actively involved in the process were three times more likely to be satisfied with their onboarding. “When managers can create a supportive work environment where people love to work and [have] a sense of work/life balance, the natural byproduct is that people feel more connected."
Microsoft has been on a journey to transform its culture over the past years and that work proved vital during the pandemic. Their organizational culture is put to the test in the pandemic crisis.
Three aspects of Microsoft’s culture became the “guiding star” during the past 2 years as it operates as “one Microsoft team,” prioritize diversity and inclusion and is customer-obsessed.
On the latter front, for example, when retail stores had to shut down early in the pandemic, Microsoft created an emergency remote model that enabled 80% of retail employees to provide virtual training for customers–meeting the needs of customers while also keeping employees on the payroll.
The pandemic was a “wake-up call” to the inclusion issues remote employees have long faced: challenges in finding a workspace, broadband disruption, and caregiving complications–prompting many employers to finally tackle these obstacles. It’s also been an opportunity for teams to become more inclusive–particularly as employees got to see one another’s home lives, pets, partners and more. In an employee survey, nearly 40% of Microsoft workers said they are more apt to be their authentic selves at work since the pandemic started, and almost one-third said they’re less likely to feel embarrassed when their home life shows up at work. In a way, the employee saw each other’s humanity in ways they hadn’t before, and that pushed inclusion forward in leaps and bounds from Microsoft's perspective.
As the Great Resignation continues, employers are grappling with new expectations on the part of their employees–a trend that our research reveals will keep up. As stated earlier in the research findings published in Microsoft's 2021 Work Trend Index, more than 40% of employees surveyed planned to leave their employer in the next year due to burnout and a lack of flexibility. Employers need to pay particular attention to who exactly is leaving: Millennials, for instance, saw a more than 275% increase in job changes over the last two years. Hence, organizations need to get on the same page about what matters to their employees.
????????????????????
Remote work is here to stay as organizations across the globe will keep supporting and developing policies related to?“Work-from-Home” (WFH)?even after this crisis is over. Since COVID-19 has upended work and office life, even companies with fewer resources and slower-moving cultures are likely to follow. An emerging form of remote work allows employees to?“Work-from-Anywhere” (WFA)?so that the employees can choose to live in any geographic location of choice. While traditional WFH programs offer the worker temporal flexibility, WFA programs offer both temporal and geographic flexibility.
Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, deep learning, machine learning and natural language processing will make virtual spaces feel much more real, in-person, authentic and effective.
The hybrid model (also called the?hybrid remote work model) is one where some employees work remotely while some work onsite. Generally, a hybrid team is more flexible, and employees can decide whether they want to work in an office environment or a remote one. In the hybrid approach, having the choice to select the work environment may significantly improve employee productivity.
As organizations shift to more remote work operations, explore the critical competencies employees will need to collaborate digitally, and be prepared to adjust employee experience strategies. Consider whether and how to shift performance goal-setting and employee evaluations for a remote context.
Hence, the Remote (Virtual) or Hybrid model is here to stay, and leaders need to understand the benefits and challenges from a leadership and followership perspective.
Organizations need to develop a hybrid working policy that is formulated in the right way, balancing the needs of the business with those of the employees, setting out clearly how it will be implemented and most importantly effective communication is key to successful implementation.
On a final note, organizations need to be mindful of the current state of the great resignation and employee turnover that we have seen in recent years as adopting such hardline stances, With the kind of great resignation and turnover that we’re already starting to see, we would be surprised if, in the long run, they won’t start seeing people leave.
This is the era for employees. The power is in employees’ hands today because of the sheer scale and magnitude of the people who want to retain some kind of work-life flexibility in their professional arrangements, and if they can’t get it from their current employer, why not get it elsewhere!
???????????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????? ???? ?????? '?????? ????????????' ???????? ?????????? ???? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ???????????? ??????????????????? ?????? ????????.
Organizational crises present complex financial, social, and ethical issues and challenges as any emotionally charged situation that, once brought to public notice, invites negative stakeholder reaction and thereby has the potential to threaten the financial well-being, reputation, or survival of the firm or some portion thereof.
A crisis occurs suddenly without warning and in an unprecedented manner, as with the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to provide daily updates on the continued increase in the number of confirmed cases and fatalities arising from COVID-19 across the world, leaders in business, government, and other organizations face unprecedented challenges in managing the fallout of this pandemic, which has encroached not only on public health but also on global economic well-being and has disrupted individual lives, families, and society.
Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, CEOs and their leadership teams were primarily preoccupied with issues such as market competitiveness, developing the talent pipeline, and cybersecurity; however, these issues have given way to ensuring employee and customer safety and well-being, managing a remote workforce, conserving cash and cash flow management, and figuring how to prepare for the “new normal” and an uncertain future.
These are incredibly difficult times, and those in charge continue to be tested in areas where they have not fully developed their leadership skills. Crises can overwhelm even the most experienced leaders, presenting unexpected, complex scenarios that develop rapidly and in several directions.
Even when contingency plans have been prepared, those plans need to be adapted to rapidly changing circumstances. Fortunately, there are best practices tools, competencies to be adopted, and perspectives that leaders can use to steer their organizations during these difficult times.
Despite these challenges, the team of C-suite executive coaches and leadership development consultants from the Centre of Executive Education (CEE), in supporting our clients, have witnessed countless examples of CEOs and C-suite leaders stepping up and embracing the challenge as if it were their calling. Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, there were other crises, such as the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2008–09, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002–03, and post 9/11 terrorist attacks, that impacted businesses significantly. CEE coaches and consultants were in constant contact with business leaders across a host of industries during these crises.
The COVID-19 crisis is proving to be a revealing test of leadership. Emerging from it strengthened, compassionate, confident, forward-looking, and successful will be those leaders who can cope with extraordinary personal and professional challenges.
In the business context, CEOs have had to cope with extraordinary demands: for them, the pandemic has been an ultimate leadership test.
Over the past 18 months, we have spoken with business leaders around the globe about their insights on the leadership challenges they faced during the pandemic and the lessons learnt. The following are the common themes arising out of the discussion with these CEOs:
From these interactions with the CEOs, we observed specific and important leadership skills and competencies emerge, which, validated against the CEE’s longitudinal research, have helped to develop the "C.R.I.S.I.S." leadership model (below).
Reference: Bawany, S. 2020. Leadership in Disruptive Times. Business Expert Press (BEP) LLC, New York, NY. For details, visit https://www.disruptiveleadership.institute/?
The details and descriptors of each element of the "C.R.I.S.I.S." leadership model are found in Chapter 10 of the book, "Leadership in Disruptive Times" (Business Expert Press, 2020)
?????? ???????? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ????????-???????????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????????????-???????????? '?????? ????????????' ???????????????????
Since our initial research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lives and livelihoods published in the book "Leadership in Disruptive Times " (Business Expert Press, 2020), the key question that our clients globally have consistently asked is:
“When will the COVID-19 pandemic end and what is the 'new normal'?
Pandemics may end in one of two ways:
1) Zero COVID-19 transmissions where health authorities close off all chains of transmission and drive cases to zero, as we have seen with all Ebola epidemics to date, or
2) The disease becomes "endemic" which is an ongoing part of the infectious-disease landscape, as we have seen with tuberculosis today.
According to Professor Yonatan Grad, the Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it is difficult to predict the timeline to the new normal as the duration of vaccine protection, social contact, and the virus mutations and transmissibility play key roles as we have seen the devastating impact of the Delta variant globally.
"The expectation that COVID-19 will become endemic essentially means that the pandemic will not end with the virus disappearing; instead, the optimistic view is that enough people will gain immune protection from vaccination and from natural infection such that there will be less transmission and much less COVID-19-related hospitalization and death, even as the virus continues to circulate."
He further adds "The expected continued circulation of SARS-CoV-2 stands in contrast with the first round of SARS in 2003 and with the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa in 2014 when public health measures ultimately stopped spreading and brought both outbreaks to an end. While there are important differences among the viruses and the contexts, this comparison underscores the critical need to improve our global public health infrastructure and surveillance systems to monitor for and help respond to the inevitable next potential pandemic virus."
????????-???????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????
In recent times, we have seen news reports that the global economy is exhibiting strong overall demand, and the public-health situation has improved in most countries as COVID-19 vaccination programs make real progress. The primary business and economic challenges are supply-chain bottlenecks and rising inflation however most economists believe that this will be relatively short-lived.
?As organizations globally transition to the ‘new normal’ where COVID-19 may never go away and becomes endemic, we have to live normally with COVID-19 in our midst and with the workforce back to the Office. Hence organizations need to transform themselves successfully and leaders at all levels need to be ready now to lead and engage their teams for the post-pandemic era workplace.
Undoubtedly the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital transformation at the workplace globally. At the same time, it has increased the pace of business and technology capabilities will be critical to organizations’ post-COVID-19 strategies in the?“new normal”?or?“next normal”?workplace of the future.
In the post-pandemic era, we expect that organizations will have to rethink their overall business strategy incorporating a client-centric innovation-driven digital transformation (DT/DX). This is a crucial element of how to conduct business at the quickening pace that’s now needed to operate much due to their client’s or stakeholder’s expectations.
In an Economist article published on 1st July 2021, across much of the world, COVID-19 restrictions are starting to ease. The magazine has crunched the data in an interactive tracker named "The Global Normalcy Index" to calculate how close countries are to pre-pandemic levels of normality—but will life ever be the same again??
Disruptive events, including crises such as pandemics, have no borders or boundaries. They can happen anytime, anywhere, and to any organization. The interconnectedness of the global economy and its political realities can magnify the ripple effect of any single crisis, making it a common feature of corporate life.
The COVID-19 pandemic proves that world-upending phenomena can emerge from anywhere. The turn to living and working more intensively within digital communications networks shows the value of these complex systems. The pandemic brings more focus on both the upsides and the downsides of digital life.
Undoubtedly the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital transformation in the workplace globally. At the same time, it has increased the pace of business and technology capabilities will be critical to organizations’ post-COVID-19 strategies in the era of the?“new normal”?or?“next normal”?workplace of the future. After seeing how the pandemic had sped up the adoption of digital technologies by several years, in the post-pandemic we expect that organizations will have to rethink the role of digital technology in their overall business strategy and how to conduct business at the quickening pace that’s now needed to operate much due to their client’s expectations.
???????? ?????????????? ???? ????????-????-?????????? ?????????????????????????? ?????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ???? ??????????-???? ???????????? ???? ?????????? ????????????????????.?
???????? ???????? ?????? ‘?????? ????????????’ ???????? ?????????
COVID-19 has heralded one of the most pronounced periods of uncertainty for businesses in history, forcing us to ask hard questions of our economic and social future. However, despite this unprecedented economic and social stress, the easing of lockdown restrictions in key markets means that organizations’ thoughts are turning to how they navigate the post-crisis era and drive the transformation necessary to succeed in the “new normal.”
To understand what lies ahead – from the immediate future of work to emerging business models, we at the Disruptive Leadership Institute (DLI) interviewed our clients who are senior executives across the world and from diverse industries.
Drawing on that extensive research, we have identified the following key business imperatives that need to be considered:
1. ???????????????????????? ???? ????????????????-?????????????? ?????? ????????????????????-???????????? ?????????????? ????????????????????????????
The COVID-19 global pandemic has fundamentally disrupted business operations across industries and throughout the world. We have seen how best-in-class organizations have been able to leverage technology as a lever to reinvent themselves or change how they achieve their strategic goals.?
COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital transformation for all types of organizations from small and medium enterprises to large global corporations in the private sector as well as those in the public sector or government agencies. However, the speed of adoption has unveiled the widening gap between those who can swiftly and successfully respond to change and those who aren’t able to do so, which is validating the value of a digital transformation strategy.
At the same time, we expect more organizations will be shifting to the hybrid cloud as an operating model for enterprise IT. The combination of private, public, and multi-cloud capabilities helps establish a platform for the organization to transform their digital business that ensures sustainability where contingency measures are being put in place as a mitigating factor to manage operational constraints as well as enabling business resilience.
Action: Develop a customer-centric, innovation-driven digital transformation (DT/DX) strategy for the post-pandemic workplace (‘PPT’: Put People before Process & Technology ).
2. ???????????? (??????????????) ???? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ??????????????
The broad adoption of “remote” processes – telework, telemedicine, virtual schooling, e-commerce, and more – is growing. In the post-pandemic era of years to come, there will be more people working from home, more virtual social and entertainment interactions, and fewer forays in public than has been the case in recent years.
We’ve also seen dramatic shifts in ways of working, such as team-based remote and hybrid working models, and an overall focus on business agility. These shifts, catalyzed by the COVID-19 response and accelerated by technology adoption, are solidifying into business cultures that can provide greater resiliency in a post-pandemic workplace.
Remote work is here to stay as organizations across the globe will keep supporting and developing policies related to “Work-from-Home” (WFH) even after this crisis is over. Since COVID-19 has upended work and office life, even companies with fewer resources and slower-moving cultures are likely to follow. An emerging form of remote work allows employees to “Work-from-Anywhere” (WFA) so that the employees can choose to live in any geographic location of choice. While traditional WFH programs offer the worker temporal flexibility, WFA programs offer both temporal and geographic flexibility.
Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, deep learning, machine learning, and natural language processing will make virtual spaces feel much more real, in-person, authentic, and effective.
The hybrid model (also called the hybrid remote work model) is one where some employees work remotely while some work onsite. Generally, a hybrid team is more flexible, and employees can decide whether they want to work in an office environment or a remote one. In the hybrid approach, having the choice to select the work environment may significantly improve employee productivity.
As organizations shift to more remote work operations, explore the critical competencies employees will need to collaborate digitally, and be prepared to adjust employee experience strategies. Consider whether and how to shift performance goal-setting and employee evaluations for a remote context.
Hence, the Remote (Virtual) or Hybrid model is here to stay, and leaders need to understand the benefits and challenges from a leadership and followership perspective.
Action: Develop a hybrid working policy that is formulated in the right way, balancing the needs of the business with those of the employees, and setting out clearly how it will be implemented. Effective communication is key to successful implementation.
3. ???????????????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???? ?? ????????????????
The well-being and resilience of self and others are more important now than ever before. Role modeling around well-being will be important for leadership success as well as the need for clear messaging on psychological first aid, well-being and mental health from the business. Workplace mental health includes leaders advocating resources and healthy culture, as well as managers proactively creating a safe, supportive and sustainable environment.
In many workplaces, there is still a stigma around discussing employee mental health conditions. Yet the pandemic has created an unexpected opportunity for more open and supportive conversations between HR, employees, and senior leadership. Never before has mental health and wellbeing been so openly and prominently discussed as it has been since the beginning of the pandemic.?
During the pandemic, many companies added or expanded employee assistance programs (EAPs) and services to help employees cope. That need is likely to continue for employees who are transitioning back into the office and for those who are continuing to work remotely. For most companies, the pandemic has also resulted in drastic changes to our working patterns. Many organizations around the world have implemented great initiatives to support the mental health and well-being of their employees during the early phase of the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.
Moreover, the costs and implications associated with not addressing employees’ mental health issues are significant, from lower motivation and work productivity to increased calls to mental-health services, to anxiety about unprecedented family needs. Mental health occurs along a continuum, with thriving and positive mental health on one end and serious mental illnesses or addictions on the other. In between, there is a range of conditions that vary in intensity and impact that employers need to understand and support.
To truly build a more resilient workforce and rebuild the organization in the post-pandemic era employers should prioritize wellbeing, which is the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. Well-being can be achieved when our mind, body, and sense of purpose lead us to feel positive about ourselves and satisfied with our lives. Businesses should treat well-being as a tangible skill, a critical business input, and a measurable outcome.
Action: Apart from ensuring the team’s Employee Well-being and Mental Wellness, leaders need to manage themselves effectively in this aspect as well so that they will be better positioned to help their team and others throughout the organization.?
4. ?????????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ????????
In the post-pandemic highly disruptive and digital-driven world, organizations continue to be impacted by a multitude of changes, influencing the way they operate. With increasing volatility in the markets, ever-changing customer needs, and continuous technology-led disruptions to business models, it is an organization’s agility and resilience that can help it weather the storm of changes that hit it every day.
On the other hand, the complexity and disruptions in the business environment today continuously decrease the visibility of businesses beyond a quarter, impeding organizations’ ability to build long-term plans and requiring them to reinvent continually. Leaders would need to understand the following implications of the characteristics of VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) for their organization, and its relevance to today’s workplace is clear because these conditions are highly descriptive of the environment in which business is conducted every day.
The four elements of VUCA describe the “fog of war”— the chaotic conditions that are encountered on a modern battlefield. Leaders need to be comfortable with uncertainty, have the self-awareness and self-confidence to make speedy but thoughtful decisions in ambiguity, and communicate consistently, clearly, and openly, even when there is nothing to communicate.
Leading in a post-pandemic VUCA world not only provides a challenging environment for leaders to operate and for executive development programs to have an impact but also offers a much-needed range of new competencies.
Action: The new reality is that organizations have to acknowledge that new and different capabilities are needed to succeed in the disruptive, digital & VUCA-driven era of the “new normal” workplace.
5. ?????????????? ?? ???????????????? ?????? ????????????????????-???????????? ?????????????? ???????? '???????????????????? ?????????????? ????????????????????' ?????????? ???? ????????????????????????
Develop a learning and innovation-driven culture. Encourage experimentation. Learn from experience and failure. Share lessons learned from failure and best practices quickly across the organization globally.
Our research revealed that successful leaders who developed their organization’s digital transformation strategy that is aligned with the business and growth plans of their organization have been able to demonstrate effectively a suite of the “disruptive digital leadership” competencies.
The leadership skills of the future will focus primarily on the ‘human’ side of leadership, including a?suite of the “disruptive digital leadership”?competencies, which includes:
During the post-pandemic, these “disruptive digital leaders” are expected to face an overwhelming task of restoring confidence and respect in leadership and business after what the employees have been through during times of continuous disruption and chaos at the workplace during the COVID-19 crisis. They will be called upon to guide organizations through times of turbulence and uncertainty, to show the way forward, and to set an example during the implementation of their organization’s transformation agenda in the face of an?increasingly disruptive and intensified digital-driven global economy in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0).
Action: Disruptive digital leaders are required at every level of the organization and they must demonstrate effectively innovative thinking and experimentation to keep the business agile. Their ability to disrupt the status quo or challenge conventional wisdom and discover creative possibilities is one of the driving factors behind an organization’s?ability to transform by changing its business model and generating new opportunities for growth in the VUCA and digital-driven business environment.
6. ?????????? ?? ???????? ??????????????????????-???????????? ????????????????????????-???????? ???????????????? ???????????????
Organizations need to adopt a high-performance-driven coaching culture where managers at all levels will do away with the annual appraisal but instead conduct regular performance coaching conversations and provide developmental feedback to each employee. They need to have frequent, open, honest, two-way, communication around values, purpose, and leader’s intent with all team members.
Fundamentally, a coaching culture is an organizational development model that provides the structure that defines how the organization’s members can best interact with their working environment and how the best results are obtained and measured. Organizational culture provides stability and protocol for all interactions within the group. It serves as a mechanism that defines the acceptable parameters of behavior (what we do or say) and constraining activities to those that reinforce the espoused values of the organization (Bawany 2020).
Introducing coaching competencies into an organization is a very powerful strategy to create an adaptive workplace culture committed to the ongoing process of development and learning. Companies that have developed a coaching culture report significantly reduced staff turnover, increased productivity, and greater happiness, and satisfaction at work.
There is a growing movement among organizations to develop a coaching culture as more companies realize the advantages of such a strategy. Once a luxury strictly for senior executives, coaching is now being extended to employees at all levels of the organization for developmental purposes through the managerial coaching approach, which will be elaborated on later.
Coaching continues to become an increasingly popular focus in business settings, underscoring the importance of exploring how organizations are cultivating a coaching culture.
Action: A coaching culture needs the disciplines of building a shared vision, learning, and a desire for personal mastery to realize its potential. Building a shared vision fosters a commitment to the long term. Openness is required by all to unearth shortcomings in present ways. Team learning develops the skills of groups of people to look for the larger picture that lies beyond individual perspectives. And personal mastery fosters personal motivation to continually learn how our actions affect our world.
???????? ??????????: ???????????? ???? ?????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ??????????-???? ???????????????? ???? ???????????????
??????????-???? ???????????????? ?????????????????? ???? ??????????????????
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been described as a storm. It has affected over 215 regions/countries and the number of cases globally, as of?8 April 2022, is?494,587,638?confirmed cases?of COVID-19, including?6,170,283?deaths, reported to WHO. [https://covid19.who.int/ Assessed on 10 April 2022].
In Singapore, as of 8 April 2022, there have been?1,128,155?confirmed cases?of COVID-19 with?1,290?deaths, reported to WHO.? [https://covid19.who.int/region/wpro/country/sg Assessed on 10 April 2022].
Singapore is an independent, multi-ethnic city-state with a population of 5,704,000. Having experienced severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, the Singapore healthcare and surveillance systems have enhanced their pandemic preparedness responses. Despite coping and adapting well to contain the first wave of COVID-19, the systems were put to the test with an increase in the percentage of untraceable transmission within the community and widespread transmission among the migrant worker population.
On 23 October 2020, the city-state has recorded 57,941 cases of COVID-19 infection [[1] ]; of this, 94.04% (n=54,492) were linked to migrant workers living in dormitories [[2] ]. The nation's fatality rate of 0.05% is below global average (4%) [[1] ]. Since the initiation of a nationwide stay-at-home measure (circuit breaker) on 7 April 2020, the number of new cases and unlinked cases in the community has decreased significantly. Public health interventions such as contact tracing, and enhanced surveillance testing in the dormitories have also led to earlier detection and quarantine, thus preventing further uncontrolled transmission among migrant workers living in the dormitories [[3] ].
While Singapore has made significant attempts to strengthen its epidemiological response to pandemic crises, it is uncertain whether the society is sufficiently resilient from the perspective of public health emergency preparedness, public hygiene practices as well as civic-mindedness. Singapore's experience thus far suggests that efficient and capable healthcare and surveillance systems alone are not sufficient to ensure success in the containment of a pandemic. The current COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the international system with a tremendous impact on the public health system, and the daily lives of all individuals.
Community resilience as a framework can help us to better understand a community's persistent capacity to overcome and rebound from adversity. Based on the conceptual framework by Anita Chandra and colleagues [[4] ], components of community resilience include a number of domains: physical and psychological health, communication, social connectedness, and integration and involvement of organizations. An equally important element that has not been emphasized sufficiently in this framework is civic-mindedness and social responsibility. Indeed, collective responsibility, and the sacrifice of individual desires, is key in fighting COVID-19, especially in the protection of vulnerable and at-risk populations.
?????? ??????????????????'?? ???????????????????? ????????????????
The Ministry of Health of Singapore responded to the pandemic with a comprehensive medical strategy to detect COVID-19 early, reduce community-based transmission and ensure those infected receive prompt treatment. Singapore employed a test-isolate-quarantine-contact trace strategy to reduce community-based transmission.
At the start of the pandemic, only public hospitals were equipped to carry out screening and diagnostic tests for the virus. The capacity was expanded to include Public Health Preparedness Clinics, which comprised a consolidation of private primary care clinics to respond to public health emergencies. These clinics were activated to perform COVID-19 tests, provide investigations, and subsidized treatment for those with respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, and runny nose.
The timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore reality is well summarized in the article below by Channel News Asia (CNA).
On the 6th of August 2020, Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the?strategies for the nation's transition toward COVID Resilience.
In a televised address to the nation, on 9th October 2021, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's provided an update on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore and the?timeline for the path to 'new normal'.
"It will take us at least three months, and perhaps as long as six months to get to this new normal....."
On the same day, we shared our perspective as well as sharing various official resources and news reports from Singapore and internationally on?Singapore's Government COVID-19 Strategy Transition from "Zero-COVID" to "Endemic-COVID"
From our research globally, we believe that it is rather ambitious or highly optimistic for the Singapore Government to set a?timeline of between 3-6 months to reach the 'new normal'.?The reason is that it is extremely challenging to predict the timeline due to the following factors:
1) Duration of vaccine protection:?As immunological studies have documented a steady decline of antibody levels among vaccinated individuals and also vaccine-induced antibodies do a worse job at recognizing SARS-CoV-2 variants compared with the original strain of the virus
2) Mutation of the Virus:?We have seen how virus mutations and transmissibility has a devastating impact globally. The Delta variant of the coronavirus is one of the most infectious virus variants so far. Rising case numbers in many countries put the recovery at risk,?prompting them to reinstate containment measures and causing concerns for many policymakers around the world.?
Since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's announcement on 9 October 2021, it is time to assess where we are and the challenges and developments that we have seen over subsequent months which could potentially derail the Government's plans toward being a COVID resilient nation.
In theory, the progressive shift to treating the coronavirus as endemic should lead to sustainable ways of managing the disease –strategies that won’t require overly blunt and costly lockdowns. However, in reality, the reality of living with COVID-19 is much more complex.
In the 2nd half of 2021, coronavirus cases in highly vaccinated countries like Singapore, the U.S., and Israel have been rising sharply. Singapore in recent months has seen an exponential rise in COVID-19 infections, while Israel is doubling down on booster shots as new cases arise.
??????, ?????? ?????????????????? ???? ??????????????????’?? ??????????-19 ?????????????????? ?????????????????
Given the destructive impact of the pandemic on lives, livelihoods, businesses and social and other aspects of our lives, we should be concerned about the effectiveness of the COVID Resilient Strategy.
Firstly, we have not heard from the Government or the Ministerial Task Force (MTF) on?what are the specific metrics of success or key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the successful outcomes for the implementation of the Singapore COVID Resilient Strategy.
To ensure the successful implementation of the COVID Resilient Strategy and achievement of the desired outcomes would require?highly effective public communications and engagement?and this would include but is not limited to clear messaging, credible information, timely updates, and meaningful collaboration between the government agencies and the citizens can increase public trust in a government’s ability to manage a crisis, and promote social responsibility and resilience.
Effective communication by the government, community leaders, or community-based organizations plays an influential role in changing behaviors.?The trust in the government had a direct impact on the adoption of socially responsible behaviors.
Regrettably, this author is of the view that there is a "trust deficit" between the public and the government in this campaign to fight the pandemic and this is a result of the ineffective public communication efforts and 'flip flop' of policies related to SMMs (safe Management Measures) by the authorities which has caused much confusion and frustration by the residents. The rationale for these assertions will be presented in the later section of this article.
Hence, it is recommended that the?Government needs to have a deeper understanding of what works for the different segments of the target population, and tailoring the message to the audience?is essential for effective communication between the government and the public. They will also need to turn to psychological and behavioral sciences to examine what strategies can be employed to ensure the changed behavior is sustained.
A complete approach to managing endemic COVID-19 requires action and support across all segments of society, including government, businesses, healthcare providers, employers, the pharmaceuticals and life-sciences industry players.
Several questions need to be answered towards ensuring a successful implementation of the COVID Resilient Strategy by the Government which could potentially lead to the positive development of 'trust' with the stakeholders, in particular the citizens and residents.
?????? ?? ?????? ???????? ?????????????????? ???? ??????????????????'?? ??????????-???? ?????????????????? ????????????????
1) What exactly does a 'new normal' look like and how will it specifically impact the different stakeholders?
2) What is an "acceptable disease burden" and use those targets to define an acceptable 'new normal'?
It is important to?set targets to define the 'new normal'?in terms of the burden of disease relative to other conditions, implications for the economy (e.g., days of work lost), and other sectors of society (e.g., school closures).?There would be a need to build the widest possible public consensus around goals.
3) How do the Government track progress against this standard, define new disease-management protocols to limit deaths, and establish practices to slow transmission?
There will be a need to?monitor progress against targets?through disease surveillance, tracking non-health burdens across society, and response monitoring. It is crucial to use sequencing to track emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants (as we have seen the devastating impact of the Delta variant globally). There is a need to establish a framework and thresholds to activate or tighten public-health policies—e.g., lockdowns, masking mandates, travel restrictions, etc. Leverage?'big data' and predictive analysis?to understand future scenarios.
Apart from PM Lee's regular televised address nation, the almost weekly (at times possibly more than once a week), Briefings by the MTF members and subsequent Q&A with members of the media, and the daily MOH Situation Updates,?we believe the Government is doing a great job in this area.
4) What are the Government's plans for the development of a tailored booster rollout plan based on the emerging science of the virus globally?
While the Government has done an excellent job in making Singapore one of the highest vaccinated populations globally, its is would seem that the government is facing a challenge in convincing vaccine-hesitant adults, particularly the elderly, to get immunized. There is a need to expand immunization to younger ages, particularly school children.
The Government's Expert Committee?on COVID-19?Vaccination?would need to review the latest clinical research filings from vaccine manufacturers with 'rapid response' (without comprising patient's safety and vaccine efficacy of course) and scaling boosters across the population.
5) What is the Government's plan to attract other vaccine manufacturers, apart from German biotechnology?company?BioNTech, (who developed the COVID-19?vaccine?—BNT162b2 — with American pharmaceutical firm?Pfizer),?and incentivize the development of new therapeutics and rapidly deploy new innovations to minimize case severity?
Reaching and sustaining high levels of vaccination, particularly as acute disease subsides, will require sustained and novel efforts to engage and educate the residents. Public-sector policies, private-sector practices, and shared cultural values must create incentives for all of the above and make clear that?immunization is a shared societal norm that is needed to effectively live with endemic COVID-19.
Any approach to living with endemic COVID-19 must have?tailored strategies?for outreach to these communities, and programs to ensure access to the vaccines, treatments, and care that can best keep them safe.
The answers to the above 5 Questions would allow the public to have a better understanding of the comprehensive approach to the management of endemic COVID-19 adopted by Singapore's Government as part of the nation's COVID Resilient Strategy.
An endemic disease does not mean an unmanaged disease. Rather, what’s needed is a shift from viewing COVID-19 as a one-time threat that defines society to seeing it as a part of everyday life that we must learn to endure.
From the onset of the pandemic last year, on 7 April 2020, this author has publicly supported the measures announced by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong then to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. For details, visit?https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/forum-government-taking-decisive-action-to-fight-pandemic
We need to know that beyond human tragedy, there is a direct economic impact from lives lost in the pandemic.?In any health crisis, we believe that a government's first concern is and should be, the health of those affected.?But unfortunately, the economic impact also has dramatic effects on the well-being of families, businesses, and communities as detailed in the latest book entitled “Leadership in Disruptive Times ” (Business Expert Press, 2020).
It is heartening to see PM Lee as a nation's Head of Government come out publicly through regular televised nationwide addresses to communicate directly and reassure the citizens and the wider business community of the progress of the said Singapore's COVID Resilient Strategy. On 24 October 2021, he did it again this time on the professional social networking platform LinkedIn. For details, please visit?https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6857690503954227200/ .
Subsequent to PM Lee's address on 9 October 2021, a slew of SMM (Safe Management Measures) was implemented to combat the rising community infections resulting in the?people being either frustrated or confused by these new rules?that kicked in on Wednesday, 13th October 2021. These SMMs include barring those who are not vaccinated from entering shopping malls and eating at the local neighborhood coffee shops and public hawker centers in the heartlands. It was reported by the media that many of these places were ill-equipped to conduct checks. For details, visit?https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/covid-19-confusion-frayed-tempers-coffee-shops-hawker-centres-malls-1st-day-entry-curbs .
Earlier on 26th July 2021, the Minister of Health, Mr. Ong Ye Kung acknowledged in Parliament that the recent shift then in COVID-19 measures, which saw Singapore?return to phase two (heightened alert), ?has caused?"some confusion" among members of the public.?For details visit:?https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/govt-acknowledges-recent-shift-in-covid-19-measures-has-caused-some-confusion-ong
In an OpEd on 8th October 2021, the Associate Editor of “The Straits Times”,?Chua Mui Hoong ?asked:
“Why flip-flop from lockdown to opening up? Why ask people to stay home yet allow shops and offices to open? Why test so many people if we are to live with endemic Covid-19?"
"These confusing signals are characteristic of the Covid-19 situation in 2021 – and we need to update our mindsets on how to interpret such messages. A recent slew of reports about the Covid-19 situation has painted a picture of confused Singaporeans unsure about how to respond to constantly changing rules, or worse, suggesting Singaporeans are taking fright and panicking over loosening restrictions.” For details, visit?https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/living-with-uncertainty-requires-us-to-update-our-2020-playbook
?Salma Khalik , the Senior Health Correspondent of "The Straits Times” reported on 6th October 2021 that “when circumstances change or more is known about COVID-19, Singapore's response to the virus, too, must change. That is being nimble in the face of a pandemic.
But changes that happen too often can lead to confusion and poor adherence to rules - to the detriment of overall efforts to keep people safe.
For details, visit?https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/covid-19-when-theres-confusion-its-tough-to-pull-together-against-a-common-enemy .?
From the sentiments expressed in social media and private chat groups, Singaporeans were furious upon learning that the delegates to the?Bloomberg New Economy Forum (NEF) ?which was held in Singapore, earlier this week from 16th to 19th November 2021, were given?preferential treatment and a different set of rules as compared to local residents?pertaining to Safe Management Measures (SMM) such as:
(a)???Delegates are permitted to dine in groups of 5 at the NEF venues and other restaurants in the city, whereas then local residents have to strictly comply with the?two-person rule for dining that has been imposed till 21 November ?as part of Singapore's Stabilization Phase.
(b)???Delegates can come from any country regardless of travel history, once they apply for the authorized letter of entry. This is inconsistent with the prevailing policy then, where travelers seeking to enter Singapore will do so via a Safe Travel Lane arrangement, and the entry requirements and health controls of each Safe Travel Lane may differ depending on the traveler’s profile and travel history. Reference:?https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/arriving/overview
Reading the statement made by the Co-Chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF), Minister for Trade & Industry Gan Kim Yong on the rationale he has given for the different set of rules for NEF delegates, regrettably has?further deteriorated the trust Singaporeans have in the Government (specifically the members of the MTF) in managing the pandemic.
These confusing signals result from the poor communication by the MTF, MOH, and the relevant governing Ministries and Agencies enforcing these rules.
On 15th November 2021, another Co-Chair of the MTF, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong tried to?assuage the public anger and confusion when acknowledging that the perceived flip-flops in the COVID-19 Resilient Strategy create frustration for Singaporeans.??
He said then that as much as the government has tried to avoid a "start-stop" approach in tackling COVID-19, the country still had to make constant adjustments to the regulations with respect to prevailing Safe Management Measures (SMM), he told reporters at a press conference held by the multi-ministry task force tackling COVID-19.
"We understand that it is not always easy for people to keep track of the changes in our measures, and from time to time it also creates frustration because of the perceived flip-flops in our Covid-19 strategy."
"That's why we are trying very hard to avoid start-stops in our measures, and to minimize the need to throttle back or to tighten. But I hope everyone understands it is very challenging to do this."
From these incidents, one could conclude that it is greatly disappointing that the members of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) and the senior civil service officers in the relevant Agencies have not exercised "cognitive readiness " nor demonstrated?deep critical thinking when formulating these new rules?as well given much thought about the need to prepare effectively and provide the relevant infrastructure and support the relevant stakeholders in implementing these new measures or rules.
This has regrettably continued to erode the public confidence and trust of the citizens in the Government’s ability to manage the pandemic effectively. I have said before that “Trust” in a government has been identified as one of the most important foundations upon which the legitimacy and sustainability of political systems are built.
Earlier in January 2021, during an interview with the media, one of the Co-Chair of the Ministerial Task Force (MTF), the then Education Minister Lawrence Wong said that if people decline or do not book a slot for the vaccination when offered because they are still undecided about the vaccines,?they must “accept the consequences” that if they change their minds later, a ready supply of vaccines may not be available,
In a letter to the media, this author stated that?the tone of the message by Minister Wong was not helpful and would likely not assuage the public distrust of vaccines.
Overcoming public distrust of the COVID-19 vaccines is a major obstacle to governments’ efforts worldwide in persuading enough people to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
The acceptance of the vaccines depends on public trust and confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines and immunization, the health system, healthcare professionals, and the wider vaccine research community.
These are all important factors that influence a person’s decision-making process.
Furthermore, for vaccine uptake to increase, the public must be inspired through authentic communication and dialogue — something the public health agencies here, including the national task force, have arguably failed to achieve.
“Our COVID-19 response also depended critically on Singaporeans working together and giving the government their trust and support. They understood the need for tough and painful measures and complied with them. Many Singaporeans’ lives have been severely affected, but they have borne the difficulties calmly and stoically. They had confidence that the government would see them through the crisis and beyond.”
PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President, September 2, 2020. Prime Minister’s Office Singapore. Assessed on 19 November 2021 at?https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/PM-Lee-Speech-at-the-debate-on-the-motion-of-thanks-to-the-president-Sep-2020?
"Research has shown that trust in a government is one of the most important foundations upon which the legitimacy and sustainability of political systems are built.
Fostering a culture of trust will require the Government to consider its policies not just in terms of the results they might produce but more directly as a means to build quality relationships with citizens, who are the key stakeholders."
???????????? ?????????????????????? ???????????????????????’?? ??????????-19 ?????????????????? ???????????????? - 24 ?????????? 2022
Singapore will ease most of its Covid restrictions including outdoor mask mandates starting March 29, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced Thursday, 24 March 2022.
Limits on social gatherings will be doubled from five to 10 people, more employees can return to offices and capacity limits for large events will be increased, Lee said in a national address.
Masks will still be needed indoors, and safe distancing of 1 metre between groups in mask-off settings will still be required.
Throughout the pandemic, Singapore has been more consistent and stricter about measures such as mask mandates and traceability than most of the rest of the world.
Lee also said Singapore will “drastically streamline” testing and quarantine requirements, making travel abroad easier — “almost like before Covid-19.”
“Resume more normal lives, enjoy larger gatherings of family and friends, go outdoors without masks, or reunite with loved ones abroad,” Lee said. “But do not throw all caution to the wind.”
He called on people to comply with the relaxed rules and test regularly.
Border measures
On travel restrictions and measures, all fully vaccinated travelers and non-fully vaccinated children aged 12 and below can enter Singapore without needing to apply for entry approvals starting April 1.
They will not be tested upon arrival in Singapore, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said at a press briefing.
Travel-related stocks jumped on Thursday following the national address.?Singapore Airlines?rose 4.25%, while ground-handling and in-flight catering services firm?Sats?gained 5.04%.
Under current arrangements, fully vaccinated travelers have to enter Singapore on specific flights to avoid quarantines. They must also take an on-arrival antigen rapid test.
Pre-departure tests will be removed for people entering via land borders but will still be needed for those entering via air and sea routes.
Returning Singapore residents previously needed to pay for Covid-related medical bills if they tested positive within 14 days of their arrival, but will no longer need to with immediate effect.
The peak of the omicron wave in Singapore appears to have passed. New daily cases stood at 8,940 on Wednesday, down from a record 26,032 infections on Feb. 22.
The majority of people infected in Singapore have mild or no symptoms. Around 0.3% required oxygen supplementation over the last 28 days, and 0.04% were in the intensive care unit.
As of Tuesday (22 March 2022), 92% of the population has completed the primary vaccination series, while 71% has received boosters.
Authorities announced a second booster dose for people 80 years old and over, people living in nursing homes and medically vulnerable people. The recommended time to take that shot is five months after the first booster dose.
??????????????????'?? ?????????? ???????????????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ??????????-???? ?????????????????? ???? ???????????????? ?????? ????, ????????. - ?????????? ???????????????? ???????????? (??????) - ???? ?????????? ????????
?????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???? ???? ????????????, ???????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????????? '???????????????? ????????' ???? ???????????? ???????? ??????????-???? - ?????? - ???? ?????????? ????????
???????????????? ???? ???????????? (??????) ????????: ???????????? ???? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? (????????) ?????? ???????????? ???????????????? - ???? ?????????? ????????
??????????????????-???????????????? ???????? ???????????? ??????????????????: ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????????? - ?????? - ???? ?????????? ????????
?????????????????? ?????????????? ????????????????????-???????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ???????????? ???? "???????????? ???????? ??????????" - ?????????????? - ???? ?????????? ????????
?????????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????????? ???????? ??????????????, ???????????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ????’?? ‘???????????? ???????? ???????????? ??????????-????’ - ?????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???????? (????????) - ???? ?????????? ????????
???????????? ????????: ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ????????????????????’?? ??????????-???? ???????????????? ?????? ????????????????, ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ????????????????????. -????? ?????????? ????????
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaking at the Administrative Service Appointment & Promotion Ceremony on 12 April 2022. PM Lee spoke about key lessons from the government’s COVID-19 strategy and response, as well as the critical partnership between the Public Service and political leadership.
It was not the first time Mr. Lee has acknowledged shortcomings in Singapore’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.?
In?September 2020 ?for instance, he said then that with hindsight, the Government would have recommended the wearing of face masks sooner and acted earlier to better manage the migrant worker dormitories, which saw large outbreaks of the disease.
“But the key is to keep on learning and improving; and as we discover more information, to be prepared to update, revise or even reverse our decisions,” Mr Lee said, referring to how the Government did not get every decision right over the past two years.
“We had to judge what was best at that point with incomplete information and act on that in the fog of war. Indecision, or waiting for all the facts to come in, would have been far worse.”
“As both our political leadership and public service leadership renew themselves, we must also renew the trust that exists between the current generation of ministers and senior public service officers, and extend it into subsequent generations,” he said.
As stated from the onset, the government needs to clearly communicate to the public what are the metrics of success or key performance indicators (KPIs) for a successful implementation of the Singapore COVID Resilient Strategy.
To ensure the successful implementation of the Singapore COVID Resilient Strategy and achievement of the desired outcomes would require highly effective public communications and engagement and this would include but is not limited to clear messaging, credible information, timely updates and meaningful collaboration between the government agencies and the citizens can increase public trust in a government’s ability to manage a crisis, and promote social responsibility and resilience.
Regrettably, while we acknowledge that the Ministerial Task Force (MTF) members and particularly the public service officers have contributed significantly in the fight against COVID-19 to keep Singaporeans safe with the relevant public health policies, from the incidences, highlighted earlier, one could conclude that the MTF which consists of primarily the 4G Political Office Holders (POHs) have lost the public trust and this would have an impact on Singapore's COVID Resilient Strategy and the Government's plans in charting the growth strategy in the 'New Normal'.
However, in the coming months, the MTF would have the opportunity to?address the 'trust deficit' issue by implementing the relevant public policies?which would ensure the achievement of the metrics of success in the government's approach to managing endemic COVID-19.
???????????????????? ??????????????: ???????????????????? ?? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????????????????? ??????????????????????
We live in an era of disruption in which powerful global forces are changing how we live and work. The rise of China, India, and other emerging economies, the rapid spread of digital technologies, growing challenges to globalization, and, in some countries, the splintering of long-held social contracts are all roiling business, the economy, and society. These trends offer considerable new opportunities to companies, sectors, countries, and individuals that embrace them successfully. They are bringing forth dynamic and innovative new players on the world stage and could give a much-needed boost to productivity and prosperity in many countries.?
In recent years and as outlined in the first edition of this book advanced technologies are driving disruptive innovations that will bring significant and permanent change to the business landscape.
Amongst the advanced technologies we believe have considerable disruptive potential: are artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, networks, advanced manufacturing, and collaborative connected platforms. Whether profound change comes from these technologies, others, or some combination that has yet to be conceived, the incredibly disruptive potential of these advanced technologies will illustrate the importance of being prepared.??
The list of potentially disruptive technologies keeps getting longer. Each one, by itself, is likely to have a substantial impact on many different aspects of society. Taken together, they are creating an environment that is dramatically different and far more volatile than the world that came before—an environment filled with novel challenges and opportunities. A notable characteristic of this period is the accelerating rate at which novel technologies keep appearing and evolving.
We are witnessing the results of what Google Chief Economist Hal Varian has called “combinatorial innovation,” the ready availability of component parts (each of which is evolving) that can be assembled in different ways to create new products and services. Virtually all of these technologies are digitally based: they exist either as software or as combinations of hardware and software that take advantage of powerful, widely available, low-cost resources like cloud and open-source development?
Many treatments of digital disruption regard the rapid pace of technological innovation as the key problem facing organizations. It’s true that technological innovation is happening at a faster rate than ever before. Computers continue to become smaller, cheaper, more powerful, better connected, and?embedded everywhere. Yet while the increasing rate of technological innovation is a significant part of the digital disruption challenge facing companies, it is not a problem in and of itself. It’s not even the most important part of the problem.
The true key problem facing organizations with respect to digital disruption is people — specifically, the different rates at which people, organizations, and policy responses to technological advances.
Technology changes faster than individuals can adopt it, individuals adapt more quickly to that change than organizations can, and organizations adjust more quickly than legal and societal institutions can.
?????? ?????? ?????????????????????????? ???????????? ?????????? ???????????????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ??????????????????????
The research by the Disruptive Leadership Institute (DLI) has identified the key factors that are crucial to the disruption preparedness of the organization which includes:
DLI research on best-in-class organizations that have successfully navigated the disruptive challenges?took concrete steps to dramatically improve their capacity to anticipate, respond to and capitalize on the disruptive forces heading their way. DLI has developed the "L.E.A.R." Framework for organizations to prepare for the ongoing disruptive challenges ahead that could threaten the organization's sustainability:
L: Leverage organizational learning as a strategic advantage: Fostering an understanding and awareness of the forces that have the potential to disrupt a business or industry better positions a firm to take action today to prepare for disruption’s impact tomorrow. Organizational learning and management are at a transition point because of the shift in disruptive digital innovations. There is widespread recognition that investing in organizational learning drives change and innovation.
E: Embrace an innovation-driven organizational culture for preparedness: Change is imperative. Yet many organizations' large-scale transformation initiatives meet with setbacks, delays, and even failure. Those that succeed are soon confronted with a painful truth: they are not leapfrogging. At best, transformation can put these organizations on par with their newer, more nimble competitors. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, organizations across the various industries are seeking a way forward. Developing an innovative-driven organizational culture can help organizations to withstand disruption in the future, and it also offers important benefits today.
A: Foster organizational agility and resilience: Organizational agility and resilience?require a cadre of 'disruptive digital leaders' that can anticipate business changes, stay flexible to adapt to shifts in the market, and initiate change in their organizations. It's the dynamic organizations that have a much better chance of surviving – and even thriving – in the shifting business environment. Embracing new ways of working and making decisions can help firms avoid becoming mired in the bureaucracy that can bring change to a screeching halt.
R: Deploy effective organizational resources: Investing in advanced technologies and using resources effectively can increase companies’ resilience in the face of change. However, the first step is towards acquiring and deploying the best people over process and technology with the relevant financial resources that can assist firms to become more competitive as they prepare for future disruption.
Organizations need to upskill and motivate their people to work with a global and digital mindset. But even as we innovate, we also know that no single breakthrough can guarantee success in a world that moves this fast.?That’s why, in addition to investing in technology, organizations have to invest in the most important intangible assets i.e. their people.
When people are empowered to collaborate, learn new skills and succeed in a changing world, they can drive your organization’s success no matter what challenges come next.
???????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ???????????????????? ?????????????
Environmental stress is increasing, with implications for the most vulnerable countries, industries, and people. Increasing levels of economic activity on a global scale are having an impact on the environment, both positive and negative. Rising levels of carbon emissions from energy production and use are linked to increased risks to endangered environments and higher levels of environmental stress. At the same time, breakthroughs in AI, batteries, and renewables are enabling a more carbon-efficient growth path.
Higher requirements for sustainability in the industry are forcing firms to rethink how they design and deliver products, services, and projects to increase focus on waste reduction and abatement of carbon emissions.??
Taking advantage of the opportunities that these trends offer—and avoiding or taming the challenges—will require big adjustments as we transition towards a more sustainable society might look like. Rekindling inclusive growth so that larger swaths of the population will be able to benefit from future economic growth and global flows will be imperative. These ideas do not amount to a comprehensive action plan and are not meant to be exhaustive. Rather, they are thought of as starters for further discussion.??
?????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ??????????????????????
For information on CEE and DLI Corporate Profiles, please visit?https://www.disruptiveleadership.institute .
For further information on the book or to place an order, please email us at [email protected] or via WhatsApp at +65 9002 3848.