ICF accredited PCC-certified coach, I work globally, across industries, with hundreds of women eager to be and do more for themselves, their families and their communities. I also research and write extensively on leadership topics in Forbes, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review. Do you have any further comments to make? The concept of work has evolved in importance and meaning for individuals and organisations. People need to earn a living, but money is not necessarily the prime motivator – especially for Millennials, Gen Z and individuals at a certain leadership or income level. Now, we expect our work to give us a sense of purpose; for the work to be meaningful and preferably, to align with our values. Therefore, our relationship with work is different and more profound. Upskilling can benefit individuals and the business tremendously when development interventions are fully integrated into policies and practice, and when individuals are able to align their purpose and values with those of the organisation. Company: unabridged Contact: Palena Neale Email: [email protected] Website: www.unabridgedleadership.com Feb22236 How Upskilling Can Benefit Your Employees and Business Specialising in working with women leaders, unabridged is a leadership development practice offering leadership coaching, mentoring and training for individuals and organisations. We spoke to unabridged Founder and Managing Director, Dr Palena Neale, to gain an insight into how upskilling can benefit your employees and business. First of all, please tell us about your company’s specialism. unabridged focuses on women’s leadership coaching and training to achieve more personal, organisational, and social impact. We look at pragmatic solutions to common issues for women, introverts and certain cultures – identifying/communicating strengths, communicating with impact, negotiating wants and needs. Women often navigate additional challenges – stereotyping, bias, inequality, discrimination and work-family-life responsibilities – that affect their access to and participation in leadership. Investing in leadership development builds skills to navigate this and lead with more impact. In your view, what are the key benefits to upskilling in the workplace? According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025. New/improved skills are required to address global trends and challenges like the pandemic, job-loss, global recession, shifting work patterns, and changing customer behaviours. Upskilling is reported to: • Strengthen and future-proof workforces – developing skills to navigate change and disruption. • Maintain and promote flexibility, adaptability and agility within the workforce, enabling employee growth and lower hiring costs over time. • Improve engagement, retention and workforce sustainability. Employees who feel that their employer invests in their professional development show higher engagement, and are less likely to leave. • Increase productivity and provide a competitive advantage to companies who are responsive to change and to employees who are more marketable. • Enhance companies’ reputations for caring about employees’ success and job satisfaction. This improves brand image and company culture, attracting and retaining quality employees. What practices can businesses incorporate to achieve these benefits? • Ensure buy-in by senior leadership, embed practices in the culture, and actively promote upskilling throughout the organisation. • Encourage staff to own their upskilling and have regular career conversations. Explore ways to support new initiatives like micro learning or flexible time off. • Use technology to raise employees’ awareness of new opportunities – e.g. online career marketplaces or other resources promoting available positions, projects and stretch assignments. • Routinely communicate the importance and value of learning and know what your L&D department offer. Many of my clients want to pursue individual coaching/training, but don’t know what their company will support. I advise clients to take responsibility for their own career development and discover what support is available. Have you got any experiences relating to the above? I was a corporate trainer, completed PhD research, and served as an OD practitioner for over 20 years in private, non-profit, and academic environments. I have considerable experience identifying learning and development needs and designing interventions to meet them. As an
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