17: Managing change as we transition to the new era of work - Alex Fraser

Hays Worldwide - Leadership Insights Podcast

17: Managing change as we transition to the new era of work - Alex Fraser In this podcast, our Group Head of Change, Alex Fraser shares her expert advice on how leaders can anticipate the significant changes on the horizon, whilst managing their teams through a new era of work, post-crisis. You can read the full transcript at: https://social.hays.com/2020/05/28/podcast-managing-change-as-we-transition-to-the-new-era-of-work/ Timestamps: (01:02) Please could you introduce yourself to our listeners? (02:01) What’s been high on your agenda? (03:10) Has this been the largest and most impactful change to the world of work that you’ve experienced in your career? (03:34) How has the pandemic changed the way that you work? (04:47) What were the main challenges leaders face and is there anything we can learn from it going forward? (06:54) What've been the positives that you’ve taken away from this from a change perspective? (07:39) What do you think are the three areas that leaders should be turning their minds to from a change perspective right now? (08:26) What are the key changes that leaders need to plan for? How can they manage this change and what challenges will they typically come across? (14:20) What changes should leaders anticipate? (17:00) How important is it that leaders have their finger on the pulse of their people? (18:09) What can leaders do to alleviate some of the change fatigue that we’re all experiencing? (21:22) Many commentators predict we will see the largest change of a generation to our world of work. Do you agree? And what do you think that some of these changes will look like? (23:23) A key role of a leader is to build and communicate their vision. Do you think this will become even more important as we try to navigate through the major changes ahead? (24:26) How important is it that leaders try to re-establish cultural norms in the next era of work? (25:09) Will this be more difficult given many teams will change, transferring to a hybrid model? (26:24) Do you think that robust communication and training is key when implementing such monumental change? (29:47) For those listeners who may be leaders at multinational organisations with each of their regional operations at very different stages of this crisis and following different governmental advice, how would you recommend leaders manage this? (31:41) Other forms of change may come when those employees who may have experienced a shift in normal working patterns during the crisis start to come back to work. How can leaders ensure that these people return engaged and that an ‘us and them mentality’ doesn’t manifest when teams are brought back together? (33:46) In a post COVID-19 world of work, listeners may find that the focus of our team has pivoted. With much of this change likely to be permanent, how should leaders manage this change in focus and help their people adjust? (36:04) What can leaders do to prioritise the wellbeing, morale, and motivation of their remaining team members? (39:29) For those leaders listening who are concerned about people maybe feeling worried about the future of their roles, what advice would you offer to help support them through this difficult and uncertain time? (40:19) Adaptability and agile working are going to be key to succeed in the future as you touched upon earlier, how can leaders work with their teams to develop them in these areas? (41:48) Finally, it goes without saying that leaders have their part to play in helping their people navigate massive change as we enter a new era of work, but surely the responsibility shouldn’t lie solely with them. Should leaders be encouraging and empowering their people to take some personal responsibility here and how can they do that? (42:56) What do you think are the three qualities that make a good leader and do you think these have changed as a result of the pandemic?