Not to get too deep right off the bat, but a Greek philosopher called Heraclitus once said “the only constant in life is change.” It’s a philosophy I have always embraced.

Having led people teams over the last two decades within a variety of businesses (from start-ups to global organisations), I have found that they are always in a constant state of BETA as they transform and grow. Change is a normal part of life and we all have to adapt to this. Though it’s safe to say that the pace of change over the last few months with the impact of Covid-19 (both personally and professionally) has been significant for most of us.

The New Norm

A lot of people are currently talking about a ‘new norm’ post-COVID-19. Market trends tell a slightly different story with a future of constant cycles of change, shaped by the world around us. Organisations will need to be focused and flexible with providing support and solutions to ensure businesses attract, retain, and develop the best people.

The Flexible Organisation

Over the last serval months, the agenda for flexible working has advanced around 5 years. Employees are now working from home as a necessity and not just as a perk, benefit, or support for their personal situations. Yes, of course, I see a future where will go back to offices, as the need to interact with others is still a primary need. However, now we have had a taste of this flexible/remote working approach, do we really need to have a large commute tagged onto the start and the end of our day? Can we operate our businesses just as effectively remotely? I think the answer to this is becoming clearer by the day.

Technology as a Driver for Change

My favourite saying over the last few months has been “You are still on mute!”

The advancement of digital/virtual platforms for work has grown massively. The way in which we engage with each other and operate our businesses has shifted. With the push on remote and flexible working, the virtual platforms people use to operate their businesses, engage with, and develop their people are here to stay. We are adapting to use them more effectively and supportively. This will be key to how future organisations develop their culture.

Support for Your People

Health and wellbeing have been on most People Agendas for some time, though the focus on this is at its most critical right now.

The ‘good’ employers out there have invested in initiatives to focus on supporting the morale, engagement, and wellbeing of their people. The focus is also not just on how we support people now, but also in the future as we continually adapt and change, as the lines between work and home life could become even more blurred.

Time for a ‘PepTalk?’

At PepTalk we have embraced change and developed the Employee Engagement & Development platform for today's modern teams, who are far more diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic.

Featuring over 400 real-world experts, we provide the nudges teams need to boost wellbeing, engagement, performance at work via live virtual bite-sized PepTalks.

Founded on the idea that experience is the ultimate teacher, we have a diverse range of experts. From business leaders to Olympians & fighter pilots, each with a powerful story to tell & invaluable experience to share.

There are over 40 trending topics to choose from, including Resilience, Motivation, Performance, Diversity & Inclusion, Remote Working, Leadership, Health & Wellbeing, Social Good.

So, whilst the future has challenges and opportunities for us all, the focus on the ‘People Agenda’ needs to sit at the forefront of any business. It’s ever-changing and needs to be adaptable and supportive.

I believe there will be one constant in all of this…..CHANGE.

Darren Minshall is the Founder of GrowthScope and Senior Advisor for PepTalk. He supports organisations in developing their ‘People Agenda’ for growth and innovation. To book a PepTalk with Darren, click here.