Uncertainty, fear, worry.

Three things that the majority of the population is currently feeling. The chaos that we are all experiencing has made thinking about the future extremely nerve-wracking.

But what if being forward-thinking and planning ahead could actually be what provides us comfort?

Although there are currently many changes being thrown our way and we’re constantly surrounded by confusion, one thing we know for sure is that the post-COVID climate will look very different than anything we’ve seen before.

But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

A lot of the time when we’re faced with something new, we panic and feel stuck. What if we changed our outlook? What if we stopped seeing changes and challenges as obstacles, and instead started looking at them as opportunities to grow and develop both personally and professionally?

The post-COVID climate will bring lots of new opportunities, including the chance to expand your skillset. After all, when we’re faced with something new, what do we do?

We learn. 

What specific skills will a post-COVID workforce need?

• Emotional Intelligence – during these times of anxiety, loss and fear, it is essential that both managers and employees can understand and read others’ emotions so they can provide the appropriate support
  
  
• Leadership – having the ability to motivate, guide and inspire your team is crucial to allowing them to thrive in such unprecedented circumstances
  
  
• Adaptability – we are all constantly being faced with new, unfamiliar situations so having the ability to remain adaptable and agile is critical

While knowing what skills you’ll need is essential, just knowing isn’t enough. We need to then act on this.

How Skills Gap Analysis can help

Skills Gap Analysis is a great way to analyse your existing skills and determine areas for improvement.

It is a tool that looks at the skills you need and helps you see which ones you already have, which ones you need to improve and how you can go about doing so, therefore giving you a clear pathway for your skills development plan.

Here are some useful resources that explore Skills Gap Analysis in more detail:

• An in-depth article explaining what Skills Gap Analysis is and why it is useful - click here to read
  
  
• A visual tutorial of how to carry out Skills Gap Analysis, including a worked example - click here to watch
  
  
• A written step-by-step guide explaining the process of Skills Gap Analysis - click here to explore

Take some time this week to create a plan of how you’ll develop your skills to help lead you to a successful future and start looking at things in a new light.

Changes are opportunities, not obstacles.