a brighter horizon e-book

DURABILITY AND ADAPTABILITY: Emerging Stronger

A BRIGHTER A BRIGHTER HORIZON HORIZON E-BOOK

The COVID-19 crisis has generated uncertainty at an astonishing rate and scale. In response to economic, regulatory, political, and customer dynamics that evolve within minutes, business leaders are revising their financial and operational forecasts continuously. They're often doing so, however, with little visibility into the long-term impacts of their decisions—decisions that will indelibly shape financial performance, culture, brand reputation, and competitive differentiation for a generation to come.

Effectively approaching today's pandemic is much like running up a steep mountain trail. You need to be present, acutely aware of your footing, so a rock or a root doesn't send you tumbling. But to make it up the hill and to build strength along the way, you must also look up, at the path that stretches ahead, to anticipate the trees, boulders, or other obstacles that could keep you from reaching the summit.

To navigate this climate and emerge stronger in a post-pandemic world, you need to approach crisis response and recovery across three horizons, deploying workforce constructs in a way that achieves near-term viability and stability while preparing for a future recovery that sustains organizational durability and adaptability.

The final e-book in our series helps you chart the course to a reimagined long-term strategy, powered by a workforce that's inspired to believe in a vastly different future.

FOREWORD

North Highland 1

Durability and Adaptability: Emerging Stronger

““ ”A blanket approach to workforce right-sizing in the earlier horizon of viability will stifle the breakthrough achievement that’s only possible in the final horizon of durability and adaptability.

North Highland 2


Armed with an understanding of your workforce's current capabilities and those that can help you compete on future horizons, you’re ready to reinvent possibilities for a post-pandemic world. This horizon includes a continuously updated analysis of demand, supply chain, customers, competitors, talent, and government response. It pulls on an adaptive set of workforce constructs that will enable you to operationalize a radically new business strategy.

In one example that underscores the essence of durability and adaptability, Panera Bread CEO Niren Chaudhary has called on his organization to “rebuild the brand for a new world.”1 The fast-casual chain, which has historically relied heavily on dine-in sales, has sought out new revenue streams during the pandemic, including converting 90 percent of restaurants into

grocery stores selling staple items, such as bread, milk, and fresh fruit and vegetables. In the post-pandemic future, the company plans to scale down in-restaurant space to allow for more significant investment in the to-go business—ultimately responding to the pandemic's indelible impact on customer behaviors, expectations, and preferences. Like Panera Bread, companies that are operationalizing updated strategies will undoubtedly need to consider the role of their workforce and where adaptive models can enable the strategic pivots required to adjust to the unpredictable world around us.

North Highland 3

REBUILDING FOR A NEW WORLD

90%The fast-casual chain has converted 90 percent of its restaurants into grocery stores selling staple items.


https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coronavirus-economic-reopening-will-be-fragile-partial-and-slow-11586800447?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1

In this stage, you must be armed with a strategic view of alternatives and potential changes to operations, including new operating models and sources of talent or capability that exist outside your organization. Adaptable and durable organizations deploy a portfolio of modular workforce models involving a mix of insourced/outsourced capabilities, managed services, staff augmentation, on-demand staffing, and variable contractor options. They also consider the value of flexibility in future-forward plans, while understanding the capabilities they must continue to invest in to enhance their future. Ultimately, this approach involves a diversified workforce portfolio that focuses investment in your most essential capabilities while applying delivery models that optimize the value, benefits, and risk profiles of those investments over the long term.

North Highland 4

The horizon of durability and adaptability involves a diversified workforce portfolio that focuses investment in your most essential capabilities while applying delivery models that maximize the value and benefits of those investments over the long term.


For your business to remain relevant, your culture and workforce must exude and reinforce this adaptable and durable core; this is a requisite. Once organizations evolve through the horizons of viability and stability, a generation of market leaders will build their legacies in the horizon of durability and adaptability. In a market that has been turned on its head, you're uniquely positioned to question long-held assumptions, scrutinize, and reimagine every aspect of your business. Leaders who are seeking to make meaningful pivots need a workforce that's inspired and empowered to believe in a vastly different future—one that engages customers in new and differentiated ways. Unlocking this opportunity starts by assessing your current culture and clarifying a more resilient future state. In resilient cultures, employees feel empowered to challenge their systems and processes to ensure that they are free of bureaucracy—supporting agility, robust collaboration, and the free flow of information. A blanket approach to workforce right-sizing in the earlier horizon of viability will stifle the breakthrough achievement that’s only possible in the final horizon of durability and adaptability.

North Highland 5

Leaders who are seeking to make meaningful pivots need a workforce that's inspired and empowered to believe in a vastly different future—one that engages customers in new and differentiated ways.


Below are the steps that you can take to emerge stronger from COVID-19 through sustained durability and adaptability:

• Deliver a portfolio of workforce advisory and optimization solutions that can flex in response to a changing economic climate.

• Cultivate a culture that reinforces adaptability and resilience. Start by assessing your current state and define a future state in which employees feel empowered to put forward new ideas and question norms without fear of failure.

• Activate new workforce models with vendors and partners, including Centers of Excellence, functions as a service, shared workforces, short-term project needs, and outsourcing.

• Establish an agile, standardized process to take the pulse of the business, adjust workforce strategy, and identify evolving needs.

• Assess and recommend options to leverage technology for workforce optimization.

• Measure the total cost of the workforce portfolio and adjust as macro-economic factors and strategy change.

North Highland 6

TAKING ACTION


Even for those that successfully evolve across the horizons of viability and stability, the horizon of durability and adaptability is far from a guaranteed end state. Just as you must approach viability with an eye towards the future, those nearing the end of their recovery journeys must also look back. As you approach durability and adaptability, never allow your organization to lose sight of the discomfort and curiosity it felt early in the horizon of viability. These constraints pushed you to question, collaborate, innovate, and "do more with less"—ultimately accelerating the

development of capability and propelling your recovery journey. By continuing to anticipate what's next—powered by an adaptive workforce that drives business strategy—you'll have fuel for growth and continuous improvement. Even when the immediate impact of the crisis subsides, organizations must continue to embrace discomfort and curiosity or else risk remaining static and reverting to entrenched, deeply rooted patterns that will only stifle success in a market that continues to move forward.

North Highland 7

EMBRACING THE DISCOMFORT AND GROWING THROUGH CURIOSITY


Today marks the beginning of an era in which legacies are made. Every aspect of your business is now on the table for reinvention. By wielding the workforce as a strategic enabler, you can transform the challenges brought by COVID-19 into a platform for innovation and differentiation. The things that set your organization apart—your workforce's skills, culture, and points of differentiation—will now be amplified, re-envisioned, and reimagined.

While there are many lingering uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 response, one thing is assured: COVID-19 isn't the first black swan event, and it won't be the last. Just as a trail runner adjusts his path and gait to navigate the rocky terrain ahead, you can evolve your approach to crisis response and recovery across horizons, better equipping your workforce to sustain performance and strategic differentiation.

North Highland 8

By wielding the workforce as a strategic enabler, you can transform the challenges brought by COVID-19 into a platform for innovation and differentiation. The things that set your organization apart—your workforce's skills, culture, and points of differentiation—will now be amplified, re-envisioned, and reimagined.


THE PATH TO THE FINISHABOUT OUR SERVICES:

North Highland 9

1 “The Coronavirus Economic Reopening Will Be Fragile, Partial and Slow,” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, Apr. 13, 2020.

WORKFORCE STRATEGY SERVICES North Highland’s pragmatic and people-first approach North Highland’s pragmatic and people-first approach to Workforce Strategy ensures to Workforce Strategy ensures that you effectively achieve near-term viability and stability objectives while preparing that you effectively achieve near-term viability and stability objectives while preparing for a future recovery requiring organizational durability and adaptability. We first work for a future recovery requiring organizational durability and adaptability. We first work collaboratively to define a Workforce Strategy that can deliver your business strategy. collaboratively to define a Workforce Strategy that can deliver your business strategy. We then enable effective Workforce Portfolio Management through a comprehensive We then enable effective Workforce Portfolio Management through a comprehensive view of the benefits, risks, and impacts of potential workforce models that help you view of the benefits, risks, and impacts of potential workforce models that help you realize your strategic plan.realize your strategic plan.

CHANGE ECONOMICS Maximizing the value of transformation calls for agility in response to uncertain conditions. It requires a common framework for prioritizing new initiatives as your focus evolves from immediate viability towards long-term durability and adaptability. In the absence of a shared vision for transformation that encompasses a holistic understanding of value, organizations miss opportunities to prioritize incremental improvement for increased and accelerated returns. Change EconomicsSM delivers a 360-degree view of the value drivers of change and transformation, enabling the smarter evaluation and prioritization of new initiatives.


https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coronavirus-economic-reopening-will-be-fragile-partial-and-slow-11586800447?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1

ABOUT NORTH HIGHLAND

North Highland is a leading change and transformation consulting firm, recognized for its deep expertise and collaborative, action-oriented approach. Invested in our client’s success and powered by the belief that everything begins and ends with people, we bring together the brightest minds to create positive change and transform businesses through customer, workforce and operational lenses. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and regularly named a best place to work, North Highland is an employee-owned firm with more than 5,000 consultants worldwide and 65+ offices around the globe. The firm is a member of Cordence Worldwide (www.cordence.com), a global management consulting alliance. For more information, visit northhighland.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

North Highland 9


http://www.cordence.com

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mike leads North Highland’s Strategy practice, bringing over 20 years of consulting, industry, and investment experience. His expertise includes business growth and innovation, strategic planning, business transformation, and organizational excellence. Mike has overseen the sales, delivery, and management of strategy engagements for Tier One clients across North America.

Rob has over 20 years of customer strategy and customer-driven transformation expertise. He has led hundreds of successful customer and employee-centered engagements for B2B and B2C clients across industries. Rob and his teams specialize in helping our clients expand their market presence via experience-based differentiation. He has helped global organizations across the telecommunications, healthcare, transportation, hospitality, financial services, energy, and utilities industries transform to become more customer-centric, adaptive, and responsive.

ROB SHERRELL VICE PRESIDENT, CUSTOMER TRANSFORMATION LEAD [email protected]

Susan has more than 20 years of experience as a talent management executive and consultant, with a track record of helping clients thrive in the face of constant change and competition. Susan helps leaders align their strategy, culture, and systems to deliver measurable business results. She is known as a collaborative and engaging leader who delivers innovative client solutions and brings out the best in her teams.

SUSAN EDWARDS ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION [email protected]

MIKE BELDIE VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONAL TRANSFORMATION LEAD [email protected]

Tom is a Vice President at North Highland, leading the firm’s Managed Services practice with expertise in outsourcing and staffing strategies. He brings over 25 years of managed services experience. Previously, he spent ten years with Spherion in national account leadership roles and another decade with TRC, where he transformed a staffing provider in a leading contact center managed services company.

TOM BODEEP VICE PRESIDENT, MANAGED SERVICES LEAD [email protected]

a brighter horizon e-book

Documents