Design & Digitalization: Taking a human-centred approach to Innovation and Technology

This week, we focus on the power of Design and Digitalization on the next step of our journey in the New Landscape of Work. As we continue to adapt to the challenging circumstances of our remote, post-pandemic work settings, new solutions are required to address the emerging issues facing our teams. How do we continue to provide an outstanding Employee Experience for our workers? What new opportunities are there to accelerate business impact with hybrid teams? In what ways can we develop our company culture and improve worker engagement with such limited connectivity?  

Design Thinking and Digital Strategy are increasingly being adopted by HR and Business Leaders heading some of the world’s top-performing companies. Technology has, indeed, been the saving grace of the global COVID crisis and exciting new opportunities to hone our work processes and streamline our systems present unforeseen possibilities in organizational development. However, as Michael Leckie, Change Management and Leadership Development Expert (and author of ‘The Heart of Transformation’) puts it, “Technology doesn’t transform organizations, people do!” So, how can we take a more human centered approach to leading this transformation?

BeNext is delighted to launch its brand new program, Digital Transformation & Leading Change, coming to BeNext from November 29th, 2021 – January 16th, 2022 to address these emerging issues (and much more!). Our team of expert speakers will guide you through new best practices for leveraging technology effectively in today’s work settings and key considerations for digital strategy development in your organization to meet future business needs. Find out more at BeNext.club!

Quickfire Interview with Lee-Ann Khan

Every fortnight we feature a top, highly-engaged BeNext learner for a quickfire interview on their experiences of their program. Here, we catch up LIVE with Lee-Ann Khan, Head of HR – Talent Acquisition at Lactalis Australia, who took part in BeNext’s recent program, ‘Diversity & Inclusion: Overcoming Unconscious Bias’.

1. Why is investing in HR skills development so critical in today’s business context?

Our businesses need to review their approach, I believe, to working environments, there's a huge push for flexibility, given, you know, the COVID issue that we've been facing for the last 18 months, nearly two years. This also provides issues around inclusion, given the flexibility of our workforce. Therefore, I think leadership needs to be strong, empathetic and cohesive.

2. What are the biggest challenges that HR needs to support the business to solve? What new skills are needed?

I put a lot of thought into this one: agility in thought and flexibility in thought, I think, is imperative given – again - that we weren't really used to the whole flexibility piece, and that's changed a lot. The working environments have changed. HR needs to support businesses in adapting to this way of working as well. Also, mental health, I believe, is now on the front line. Fatigue is an issue.

3. What are the biggest opportunities we have as HR leaders to impact the business post the pandemic?

Mental health initiatives, I think, is a big one. Flexibility in working and wellness programs are huge. I think we can do that a lot better. And we need to. We're also unlimited on where our workforce in talent is located. So, like yourself, you know, there's a lot of people that will can work from home in different parts of the country. So that's a big, a big push now as well. It's the remote and the flexible piece.

4. How is BeNext’s cohort-based approach different from other learning methodologies you have experienced?

I thought it was really collaborative and really interactive, which I really, really enjoyed. Diverse speakers, diverse members from different countries, which I thought was really, really exciting. And obviously, you know, by different members, different countries, you always get different viewpoints and different experiences.

5. What were your favorite aspects of the program content and the BeNext learning journey?

So, I enjoyed the LIVE sessions along with the interactive nature of the learnings. I thought that was great. The collaboration, as I mentioned earlier, and being able to hear others’ experiences, the four-pillar structure provided a baseline to a concept, which we're able to build on, and I suppose put into play in our own work environment.

6. What aspects of the program content have you adopted in your leadership practices, mindset, or goals since your experience on the program?

So, the three mindsets: leadership is a journey, complexity needs diversity, and psychological safety is your prerequisite to diversity. This will be the main mindset that is at the forefront of my thoughts when interacting with others. We took the learnings from this course as a starting point of discussion to roll out our diversity plans internally.

7. What makes you want to recommend the BeNext learning journey to a colleague or fellow leader?

So, the quality of content, I thought was brilliant. The variety of speakers, again, was great, and the collaborative nature of the course. So, I thought the speakers were brilliant and I actually went and bought a couple of their books. So that's how much I enjoyed it!

8. What was one of your key takeaways from the ‘Diversity & Inclusion: Overcoming Unconscious Bias’ program?

I think, with the unconscious bias piece, where everyone actually does have a bias. And, it's to the extent of how we evaluate that and ask ourselves questions regarding that, I thought was really quite thought provoking, because it just intrigued me that, I suppose, a lot of people don't think the way you think you think. So yes, it certainly opened up a lot of thinking and, I suppose, evaluation.

Thank you for talking to us! You can connect with Cherie on LinkedIn here.

What we're doing…

Over the coming weeks, BeNext is offering a whole suite of Cohort-based certification programs designed to set your skilling strategy on a new trajectory:

Design Thinking & Agile for HR Teams

Digital Transformation and Leading Change

Women in Leadership: Lead, Influence & Transform 

What we're reading…

Staying Aligned on Shifting Sands: The HRBP in the “New Landscape of Work”

Read on for the highlights of our recent Power Hour session for ‘HR Business Partner in the New World of Work’  on fundamental organizational shifts and effective leadership to continue adding value to the business in our transforming settings.

‘The (in)Visible Woman’: The Role of Representation in Empowering Female Leaders

Read on for some key insights on gender balance in leadership today from our recent LIVE Masterclass for ‘Women in Leadership: Lead, Influence, Transform’. 

“Innovation happens when we are put under constraints.” Opening up to Opportunities for Hyrbid HRBPs

Read on for the highlights of our recent LIVE webcast exploring the link that exists through the HRBP to drive market success with Saurabh Nigam, one of our Expert Speakers and Contributors for ‘HR Business Partner in the New World of Work’