Hindsight TRULY is 2020
2020 has been ……………. . There are so many ways to characterize a year in which many norms were not just challenged or altered, but out right shattered. The role of Learning was perhaps the biggest surprise to many outside of the field. It’s often said, “Hindsight is 2020.” After this year, I’m not sure people will see that phrase in the same way.
In March as Lockdowns began utilization of Online Courses and Learning assets were shattering records for usage, by a factor of 10x. What has emerged in the process is a new perspective of Learning as not just a benefit, but an essential core element to the very ability to adapt, survive and thrive in an unpredictable world.
Bob Mosher, CEO of APPLY Synergies, noted a shift in the perception of Learning and the role it now plays best; “Learning Teams are now getting their due recognition as they are sought out by Corporate Leaders to help design the moving forward strategy for organizations.” This is through recognition of the impact of Learning throughout the Pandemic to support employees. The impact of both L&D and HR’s efforts has resulted in not just a seat at the table, but the ear of Executives.
“Upskilling” and “Reskilling” will become standard vocabulary terms post 2020. Organizations are challenged to support new models for the way they conduct business as a result of the Pandemic. All organizations are now Digital Organizations. The skills required to make this shift are in short supply not just within the organization, but also in existing Talent pools outside. Organizations must now turn to their L&D teams to fill the skills gap.
A recent McKinsey Global Survey states, 87 percent of executives revealed they were experiencing skill gaps in the workforce or expected them soon. COVID-19 created an explosion in online learning opportunities as many world-class trainers and training companies expanded their virtual offerings. What once may have been cost-prohibitive may now be affordable, as were in the past you needed to gather your team at a physical location, now you can bring top-notch training right to your employee’s desktops.
Unfortunately time is not on anyone’s side. The demands of 2020 have accelerated time in ways not thought possible. What used to take months now takes weeks; and what took weeks now takes days. Digital Transformation is no longer a multi-year program. Transformation has given way to Acceleration.
To add to the challenge of going digital, Leaders must now reskill themselves to Manage their people and teams remotely. This is placing a burden on L&D teams to provide essential skill development in Coaching, Empowerment and Feedback.
The Business Leadership Roundtable sums up the change required by Organizations best: Training must also be revamped; everything needs to be reviewed, big and small. Employees new to the WFH environment will require a host of new technical skills. Supervisors will need to know how to lead and engage a remote workforce. Adapt new training methods that include more virtual, self-paced learning; shorter, more frequent training segments; and instruction that pertains to both professional and lifestyle issues.
In order to meet the learning demands of an organization, traditional systems like the Learning Management System (LMS) are getting a second look. However, now the consideration of learning and talent capabilities fall into a term known as the Employee Experience (EX). Driven by the shift to Work from Home (WFH) organizations are looking to deliver meaningful, productive employee experiences for their remote workforce across all their needs as an employee.
The new reality of a distributed and distant workforce has precipitated a need to provide a connected, intuitive and efficient set of career tools for employees. The typical Employee Lifecycle is now being envisioned from a virtual perspective. Recent milestone events for companies now encompass the first class of employees that have been recruited, hired and on-boarded virtually.
Virtual Solutions are seeing a resurgence in popularity driven by the reality of the Pandemic. While around for over twenty years, Virtual Learning solutions are getting a second look in 2020. Whether VILT (Virtual Instructor Led Training) delivered live Synchronously via WebEx, Zoom or Teams; or Virtual Reality (VR) to simulate an artificial three-dimensional environment. The “realities” of a remote workforce are pushing the boundaries to reconnect in the Cyberworld.
As the Holiday Season approaches it brings a sense of tradition and “normal” that so many crave after such a disruptive year. There has been so much made of Lockdowns and Remote in 2020 that people crave the comfort and company of family and friends. I’ve heard it said that 2020 has taught us to be “more digital and more human.” I couldn’t agree more. As organizations process the ups and downs of a highly volatile year, I believe there will be lessons learned that show new best practices and processes that focus on solving problems in the here and now, not pushing them down the line.
As we look to 2021, my wish for everyone is to cherish the gift of Wisdom we have all gained through this shared experience. Find ways to harness the good of 2020 and for the rest, there’s always Eggnog! From my family to you and yours, I wish you the Happiest of Holidays, the Merriest of Christmases and all the Happiest of New Years! If there’s one thing we can all agree upon this year it will be to say “Good Bye” to 2020. Peace.