COVID-19 has changed the way we look at things. Many organizations lost revenues, workforce, and market shares, as they had not planned for this change. Every business sector had to realign its strategy to align to changes brought on by the pandemic.  

Besides, it is also essential that we acknowledge the new normal, which is more about innovative, home-based models of working with a focus on creativity and implementation of tasks online. It also involves efficiently interacting with colleagues to produce the best possible results.

The lockdown also bought some advantages with it, like many businesses could reach out to potential customers virtually, who were not geographically co-located.

 The business models and policies of most of the market players have gone through a drastic change. Their requirements from the staff and new hires concerning particular skillsets have also undergone a shift. Therefore, this is the best time to up-skill yourself for the new work-life balance and focus on honing your skills that will come in handy not only now but also in the future.

Let us enlist a few of them:

1. Critical Thinking: Organizations have shown a great affinity towards individuals who possess the skill of critical thinking and can solve complex problems with ease.

Critical thinking brings you the ability to break down a complex problem into small, manageable units and then use reasoning to come up with various solutions for each problem unit. It is a crucial trait to possess, considering the current times where problems need quick acknowledgement and pros and cons of solutions need to go through a swift vetting before putting them in motion.

• Technology Savvy Mindset: The best way to keep your job is to be digitally updated. Gaining knowledge and learning about new technological innovations in the market is going to make life simpler.

Technology has always been an enabler, and especially now when physical contact is almost nil, virtually connecting with your peers and colleagues is the way to progress. Data literacy, automation, artificial intelligence, analytics combined with an ability to sort through information and draw insights are going to become necessary skills in this technologically aligned world order.

• Agility and Multi-tasking: VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) is the new normal in any business, and it needs employees who are quick on their feet and agile to deal with such situations.

Agile thinking is your ability to become highly responsive and adapt to changes promptly, which enables you to deliver the best possible solution or product. The market conditions and measures of success are constantly changing, and therefore a professional who understands and adapts to the changing needs will be able to sustain.

The ability to handle multiple tasks and play different roles to the best of one’s ability will determine the measure of success achieved by an individual.

• Cognitive Flexibility and Adaptability: The ability to analyze and work on diverse situations and concepts at the same time without breaking stride is cognitive flexibility. People with high cognitive flexibility are more adaptable to changes in work conditions and can take on additional responsibilities without getting stressed.

This skill is sought after because keeping an open mind, prioritizing tasks and also unlearning without stressing, enables a professional to balance work life and family life.

• Innovative Thinking and Creativity: Even before the pandemic, companies allocated considerable resources to innovation. Irrespective of the industry, every company aspires to find individuals with a creative mindset and a fresh perspective. This attitude also enables the individuals to find opportunities even in downturns and helps their organizations to prosper.

Thinking outside the box has always been a necessary pre-requisite for any R&D or strategy team. Finding unconventional opportunities in tricky scenarios is the kind of skill that appeals most in this post-pandemic world.

• Emotional Intelligence and Active Communication: Only when you take care of yourself, is when you can take care of others. Having social and emotional intelligence and communication skills to demonstrate this understanding are crucial for the work scenario we have now.

Physical proximity being minimal, we need to help ourselves and our teams to achieve the best by maintaining optimum mental and physical well-being.

Actively communicating, empathizing, coordinating, and listening to each other is the best way to manage stress and uncertainty in a work environment, and today organizations are looking for leaders who possess them.