Why investing in people RIGHT NOW matters.

When the chips are down and money is tight, where do businesses cut costs? it's not uncommon for learning and development budgets to take a negative hit.

Extra resource required for line managers. Why? Because we are entering into a new norm that will depend on line managers doing tasks they haven't yet been called upon to do until now. Line managers are role models to the rest of the organisation. In this moment, where a workplace is fragmented, people having a home office brings fresh challenges; balancing work and home life can be tricky, parents needing to home school children, couples and house mates sharing resources and often on top of each other. Cleaning, feeding and minding the kids and pets during the day, plus coping with the demands of jumping on zooms at all hours.

Here's benefits of investment in soft skill ability building for line managers who essentially, need to become a multi skilled when it comes to employees;

1. enhance motivation and collaboration of remote working, helping to support productivity and work life balance.

2. build resilience and patience to support stress and conflict, solution orientated to reduce frustration

3. communicate effectively and timing ongoing across the organisation to its people.

4. handle emotions with empathy, kindness and sympathy for self and others even under stress and pressure.

5. recognise mental health challenges, being able to handle them appropriately in the right way.

This new norm is a no doubt a challenge, that's for sure, yet it has great rewards if we can master and harness the spirit of true collaboration, helping managers to sharpen and shift in their own mindset and positive mental well-being to enable others.

Zoe Walters is a people expert

this article is based on Zoe's own experience, perspective and views.

*credit for the photo unknown

www.zoewalters.com