The people piece is right back at the heart of the agenda

But do boards have the skills to help them make sure they are challenged to be better than they were?

It is a fair question as so much has changed over the last year. Leaders will no longer be able to dismiss the people piece as a “luxury” item, it will be need investment and a genuine focus. Leaders will need to be seen to once again ensure that their companies do possess strong value propositions and do act in support. Research has shown that:

• Over 90% believe that work environments will have changed forever.
• 72% believe that offices should be for social interaction and collaboration; not for sitting at desks working on computers.
• The concept of 5 days a week commuting is seen to be almost old fashioned.
• 89% want to see greater support for the development of talent
• 65% will plan to leave their jobs in the next 6 months if their companies do not invest more in their development
• 45% expect their companies to have better values and ethics in how they communicate and act as a business post-pandemic.

This is quite a sea change, so it is fair to ask – are boards ready and prepared? Do they possess the skill sets in place?
Back in 2003, one major leader spoke at an event and said that “ the lifespan of CEOs is so short that they do not have a luxury of spending time investing in people”. Sadly this philosophy was prevalent and investment in the talent in from the early 00s till the start of this year fell by a relative 65%.
This is no longer acceptable and it will need change. The question is; do companies have the skills in place to challenge themselves to be better, to raise the bar and deliver on what is expected?
EP has long been an advocate of using sports players to work with companies to challenge themselves on culture and teamwork. After this, we need more.
For 2021, we have assembled a team of some experts from the worlds of global business, hospitality, sport and in life experience to come together with the view of working with boards to ensure that the right questions are asked so improvement can be found.
In all, we have over 40 top players wanting to make sure that we do work to create a better framework and environment, that we do learn the lessons from the past twenty years and that we create an environment that once again meets expectation.
If you would like to know more, please contact chris.sheppardson@epmagazine.co.uk