2021: post-Covid; things we have learnt and improvements to be made
This year in Italy, the post Covid-19 era is gradually taking shape, thanks to the reduction in cases and the current mass vaccination campaign. The moment has therefore arrived to draw some conclusions about the consequences of the pandemic for both companies and individuals.
Some sectors have seen significant growth, but the coronavirus emergency and the unprecedented situations resulting from the restrictions, have highlighted the need for some genuine improvements.
Managing change
During the pandemic, business people had to consider how to keep production going, while rethinking methods and processes to make them compatible with remote working practices. It was a huge challenge, which some companies managed to deal with more effectively than others, but it certainly highlighted the need for Italy as a whole to embrace change more decisively.
The coronavirus has also changed the way people perceive and experience this transformation. During the pre-pandemic years, research shows that 60% of employees had a more passive approach or resisted changes proposed by their employer.
This percentage has been completely reversed during the health crisis, with 59% of workers demonstrating a more proactive approach and a more constructive attitude to innovation in the company.
The pandemic has forced individuals out of their comfort zone and brought a new attitude to change. People have begun to realise how important and useful change can be, not only at work but in their private lives too.
Post Covid-19 analysis 2021
In areas like technology and digitalisation, change has been hastened by the pandemic. In the post Covid-19 period, companies and individuals have started to place greater importance on these issues, partly due to working methods changing so drastically due to the imposed lockdowns.
In this regard, an interesting study found that the Technology and Digitalisation trend has overtaken Organisational structure and organisational models for work, which had been number one in the classification of factors driving change before the pandemic.
The data gathered also shows an acceleration in working processes, which has risen from 22% before the pandemic, to 39% during the healthcare crisis and predicted to reach 31% in the coming months.
However, a slowdown has been recorded in the success of change management projects. In particular, the data shows that 1 project in 3 does not reach 50% of its intended objectives and only 8% of projects achieve over 80%.
This kind of analysis facilitates the calculation of which factors determine the success or failure of a project. In the case of successful projects, it is sponsorship by top management and the engagement of people involved that make a difference.
Failures however, are often due to general characteristics of the company itself. More failures in the conclusion of a project have been recorded in companies lacking an inclusive culture which is open to change.
An inflexible organisational structure also represents a serious problem when trying to achieve objectives. In order to tackle these issues, a re-assessment of company leadership is required.
In the 2021 post Covid-19 scenario, rather than pragmatism combined with decision-making ability, the decisive factors are growth and improvement. In order to cater for the requirements of modern companies and workers, the new leaders must possess certain specific characteristics, including:
- The ability to build enthusiasm;
- The ability to delegate;
- A propensity for innovation.
Only in this way can companies hope to remain competitive and keep up to date with the times as they get back to business in the post-Covid world.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
