In an ever-changing world of micro- and macro environments that impact businesses, it is more important than ever for organisations to realise the importance of being resilient and adapting to change swiftly without causing disruptions to daily business operations, employees, and stakeholders.
Workforce resilience describes working environments that allow employees to adapt quickly to adverse situations, manage stress effectively, and retain motivation. At the core, there are three aspects to consider in identifying resilience in the working environment: “a sense of security; a strong sense of belonging with the employer; adaptability and motivation employees need to reach their full potential” (Ali and Subah, 2022).
A Resilient Workforce
In a resilient workforce, employees are always ready for change and welcome it; this can only be done through personal development and ensuring that employees are taught the relevant skills and provided with tools to assist them in mastering the change process. When people gain relevant skills through mentorship and support programmes to a point where they feel comfortable putting these skills into practice, organisations enable them to become active members of change and growth.
Before planning learning and development in an organisation, gathering information relevant to the planning phase is essential. It will factor in what type of learning intervention best suits your employees, their goals, and future aspirations and will mutually benefit the employees and the organisation. It is crucial to ensure that the planned learning pathway is accessible, relevant, and value-adding. Planning is an essential part of implementing any learning and development programmes. This then translates into the Annual Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) that needs to be submitted to the relevant SETA’s annually. Once a plan has been put into place, implementation becomes second nature, and the organisation can then manage this process fluidly.
If youfail to plan,then you are planning to fail. - Benjamin Franklin
Besides being a legislative requirement in the South African work environment, the benefits of having implemented a successful WSP are that these organisations are often associated having greater job satisfaction, increased contentment, organisational commitment, and employee engagement. Leveraging resilience contributes to improved self-esteem, a sense of control over life events, a sense of purpose, and improved interpersonal relationships among employees, especially those working as a team, the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry speak the truth, for “a goal without a plan is just a wish”
Revitalise your workforce and improve your organisational effectiveness with Siyakha’s expert assistance in reviewing and enhancing your ‘people’ strategy through our specialised WSP and ATR process.
Suzaan Bezuidenhout
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