How Workplaces can Adapt Better with Capacity Building

Written by: Diya Maria Abraham

Corporations have slowly been shifting work online and expanding their reliance on virtual workplace tools in the recent past. However, the current global health crisis pushed this process into overdrive, disrupting the personal and professional balance. Everyone, from entry-level associates to CEOs work from the confines of their homes and this has created a blanket of uncertainty in many companies. A year and a half have passed but we are yet to reach a sustainable and hybrid model of working. Many companies have put learning and capacity building on the back burner, focussing on current projects and staying afloat. This is short-sighted and will not suit in a world where everyone and everything is in a race to evolve and equip themselves with the latest tools. 

To get ahead you have to stay ahead. The only way to do this is to continue and improve on the learning systems and capacity building programmes that existed before the pandemic. Major learning initiatives such as training courses, skill-building and even minor ones such as mentoring sessions, process checks and networking meetings need to be held regularly. But then arises the question, how does one ensure that such initiatives have the same effect as they would in an offline setting? It is in this context that adapting to the workplace becomes important. 

The Challenges 

Most, if not all of us have attended classes online and taken part in virtual meetings and webinars, so much so that Zoom fatigue, Zoom university and being ‘zoomed out’ are all common phrases in 2021. It is important that capacity building exercises do not add to the existing work stress but instead become a space for learning, engagement and community building. 

Researchers note that the two recurring problems that affect virtual learning are; being fixated on the mechanics rather than the actual purpose of learning and; focussing on content alone when we need to also learn how to stay engaged and relate with each other in a new setting. Our experience from online learning has been a simple transmission of knowledge from the facilitator to the student through lectures or presentations. This narrow way of reinforcing offline learning methods through digital tools will only add to extra screen time with no visible benefits. For this reason, it is necessary to add an element of socio-learning to the virtual classroom. 

Adding this element to workplace learning will not only enrich the virtual experience but also impart the values needed to make the space more human and equipped to withstand crisis situations. Some of these benefits include:

Productivity  

According to the 2021 Workplace Learning Report, upskilling and reskilling has been the main focus of learning and development. In an increasingly competitive world where skills get outdated by the day, the relevance of constant learning becomes all the more important. An opportunity to improve one’s skills and better themselves through capacity building initiatives  will not only increase the employees’ performance but also their confidence and morale. 

Humanizing the Workplace 

A recent work survey conducted by FinanceBuzz noted that 46% of workers feel isolated from their team and a reported 30% admitted it’s challenging to collaborate with their colleagues. Nearly 49% of the respondents reported working from home as being harder to build relationships with co-workers. All of these issues have serious ramifications on the mental health of the employee and erode their cognitive capacity. 

Survey data has revealed that workplaces that promote a strong company culture, organizational values and utilize training that push culture building topics and conversations around well-being, tend to be highly productive and non-toxic in nature. In the absence of physical interaction, it is more likely for miscommunication and cold corporate culture to thrive. From when we were children, we crave feelings of community, membership and acceptance in our groups of interaction. In an increasingly distant world, the workplace must also strive to create this sense of belonging and security for its individuals. Laura Empson in her book, Leading Professionals, note that insecure individuals are more prone to overwork themselves not only due to the inherent intangibility of knowledge work but also because they think they are somehow responsible for not being able to cope. This is where communication with colleagues and reinforcing a culture of acceptance at the workplace becomes relevant. 

A lot of companies facilitate regular check-ins with their managers and teams. Socio-learning initiatives begin with questions about employee well-being, work/life balance and light questions about hobbies, favourite new shows and so on. Hosting spaces where people can feel and think like themselves is important in a virtual setting for people to be as comfortable and innovative as they would be in the office. Moreover, informal discussion groups, dedicated ‘slack’ channels and company blogs contribute to humanising the workplace and building community relations among its members. 

Enhancing Company Reputation 

A well known training strategy that gives primacy to capacity building will not only attract talented graduates and mid-career shifters but also create a market reputation for your brand. Engaging in skill-building and funding such opportunities for employees will make them feel valued and help in creating a culture of learning and growth. Along with such endeavours, companies known to be employee-friendly also take gender sensitization and awareness sessions to create a safer and inclusive workplace for all. All of these programmes contribute to creating a holistic learning and working environment. 

Resolving Crises through Capacity Building 

Teachers and company leaders must evaluate as to what sort of learning and tools a team needs in a crisis situation. This might require integrating different tools of learning and stepping away from traditional methods to lead businesses and people through it. While innovation and unchartered methods are not preferred in crisis situations, one must not take to prioritising expertise and knowledge to avoid failure. Teachers must acknowledge the unprecedented nature of the present crisis and work with their team to facilitate learning. This method not only humanises learning but allows students to process and adapt to the new normal, bringing forward avenues of transformation within the business. 

The only way for organizations to ensure their workers are delivering the maximum output is to invest and cultivate a culture of learning. This has to be supplemented with those programmes that promote a strong company culture and feelings of community within the workforce. Allowing ourselves to build the business in tandem with the needs of others will prove to be beneficial for all.  

About the author: Diya is an undergraduate student at St. Stephen’s College. Her interests includes socio-legal research and criminal justice.

Ungender Insights is the product of our learning from advisory work at Ungender. Our team specializes in advising workplaces on workplace diversity and inclusion. Write to us at contact@ungender.in to understand how we can partner with your organization to build a more inclusive workplace.