Unrelenting Workplace Change Requires More Change Leaders

You’re busy, and you wear a lot of hats in the workplace. In a sense, the modern day worker is expected to be a professional organizer, an articulate communicator, a project manager, an administrative assistant, a master presenter, a remote employee, and a credentialed expert in their field all at once. 

So, why should you be expected to be a change leader on top of everything else?

The short answer is that we are experiencing a major shift in employment expectations, and companies are realizing their workforce’s soft skills are perhaps more important than they initially thought.

Let me explain.

None of us works in a vacuum. Having the hard skills to perform your job  is necessary, but it does not prepare you for the inevitable software deployments, policy or procedure changes, business model shifts, and more.

CEOs around the world have named three primary challenges in today’s global economy: (1) unrelenting technological advancement, (2) an unstable business environment, and (3) fresh sources of competition. Such threats come at a time of cybersecurity concerns, pandemic-related restrictions, and an increase in domestic rather than international economic partnerships.

In other words, employers are increasingly spending more time and resources navigating peripherals such as new technologies, regulatory concerns, and rapidly changing trends in the global marketplace at a pace never seen before.

Of course, with these business concerns comes the need to source the right talent to address them, and that is why your employer needs you to be a trained change leader.

As our world continues to evolve with the advent and adoption of new technologies, it will be administrative and analytical tasks - not soft skills - that are automated and/or outsourced. As such, workplace learning and development (L&D) models must pivot in order to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of both employers and employees.

In an attempt to keep their workforce up to speed on the latest technologies, workplace L&D offerings have primarily focused on technical skills training. This makes sense, but the average shelf of a technical skill is two to three years.  It also ignores what many learners actually want to learn. Not only do employees want soft skills, it turns out that offering training in the areas of change, leadership, and design thinking leads to greater productivity and better ROI due to the lasting impact that a shift in perspective can have on an individual or team. 

This in no way negates the importance of hard skills training, but is instead meant to highlight the long term value of investing in soft skills. Hard skills ensure the workforce can perform their role as defined in their position description assuming the economy, industry, and technology will never change. Soft skills ensure they can succeed by building on their education when disruption inevitably occurs.

Of course, soft skills benefit the individual and organization in other ways too. Better change and leadership skills can make the inevitable workplace disruptions go smoother because workers will have the knowledge and tools to self-regulate, self-care, and confidently adapt to whatever shifts come their way. Plus, companies are only as resilient as the people they employ, which is why investing in soft skills is a winning business strategy.  

Finding the right training is important, especially for the modern worker who wants on-demand learning that is relevant, easy to understand, effectively delivered, and doesn’t require an exorbitant amount of time to complete. Using current data and insights, we designed a program to meet your needs and preferences. 

Apogy’s on-demand Change Leadership Certification can be completed in a matter of hours, or can be spread out over several days or weeks to better fit busy schedules. Participants can also request one-on-one coaching, which gives them direct access to the instructor while they apply what they’ve learned on a real project, in real-time. Clients say it is like having a consultant on your team, but at a fraction of the price. 

Are you prepared for one of the largest workforce shifts in human history? Become an Apogy Certified Change Leader today!  

Learn more about Apogy's change leadership training, coaching, and certification program from Megan M., a recently certified Apogy Change Leader, in this short video.

_{Sources:  Coursera Data Insights eBook, Guide to Coursera for Business}