Gigx Global

Reading Charles Handy’s book ‘The Empty Raincoat’, I reflected on the application of the Sigmoid curve for HR function. The symbol is a powerful one, and as Handy states, it possesses almost infinite universality of application. Handy published a prescient discussion of the changing nature of work and the dynamics of how people respond to those changes. He argued for a more constructive and proactive shaping of futures, whether by individuals or by organizations. Like the technologists before him, Handy described a need to anticipate and adapt to next changes while things still appear to be going well, rather than waiting for change to be imposed by external circumstances. He added the idea that progress could stall or even go backwards, unless attention to likely next steps is anticipated, during the time when things appear to be going well. Handy believes the paradox of change is that the movement from one curve to the next needs to take place when there is the least apparent need...

Is bravery and courage in the workplace now ‘coming of age’? Bravery and courage are generally considered to be synonyms. Philosophically, the two nouns differ in meaning. Courage entails a cause, most commonly passion, love, compassion, concern, etc. whilst bravery can be without a cause. The turbulence of the marketplace, new opportunities constantly emerging, the uncertainty about the future, the lack of job security, the need for greater flexibility and creativity all indicates that predictability is history. All these shifts have created new demands for organizations and propelled the field in some completely new directions. The HR function is evolving, with the changing ways of business. This change is forcing the future HR professionals to balance a range of roles, both at the business and the employee end. We need brave and courageous HR professionals and leaders who are willing to display courage in creating, implementing and communicating differentiated initiatives that s...

Everyone recognizes that digital disruption is happening and many organizations across the different sectors are undergoing some form of business transformation and discussing the future of work. In PwC survey on the Workforce of the Future, carried out in China, India, Germany, the UK and the US, identified 5 megatrends that will transform the way people work over the next 5 to 10 years ie. Rapid urbanization, Demographic shifts, Shifts in Global Economic power, Resource scarcity & Climate change and Technological breakthroughs. Disruption is now the norm. I prefer to talk about these trends impacting on workplace and workforce as the ‘Work of the Future’ rather than the more commonly used term “The Future of Work”. I think the former terminology is far more optimistic (and I think more accurate) than the latter. It implies a shift in how work will be performed in the future, rather than questioning whether work has a future and will still exist. Full time work does not ‘need’ ...

With the exponential changes driving digital government transformation, public sector executives are increasingly expecting their HR departments to adapt and embrace digital solutions to tackle workforce-management challenges. The augmentation of work and processes call for government agencies to rethink their overall human resource strategy. For example, with the use of advanced digital technologies such as algorithms intelligence and vast amounts of data, the diffusion of eGovernment requires government employees with digital technical skills and capacity to exploit the potentials of big data in delivering public services. It is not only the technical understanding requirement, but also a broad understanding of information management and the information society. However, many authors agree that the lack of skilled workforce in public administration is prevalent. The need for enhanced data management skills is even more pertinent given the evidence that preliminary data entered by hu...