The session, which forms part of an ongoing exclusive, members-only series, discussed the topic ‘People priorities for the new reality’
GPCA Members Dialogue series continue to gain momentum, with the latest session which took place on 4 November 2020 engaging CEOs and senior executives from 11 member companies.
“At GPCA we understand that COVID-19 is a fundamentally people-based crisis and are particularly proud of how our members and the chemical community in the region have managed the workforce and business repercussions from the pandemic, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of their employees,” said Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, who opened the session.
As leaders in the region and the world respond to ongoing challenges, people priorities will continue to be front and center to their future strategy.
With this in mind, the members-only meeting explored the topic ‘People Priorities for the New Reality’ and discussed three key questions:
- How are HR functions dealing with the challenges of the pandemic?
- Which approaches for leading teams and keeping organizational structures and operations running have been particularly successful?
- What conclusions can be drawn from those experiences?
At the end of the session, BCG shared a set of recommendations that need to be adopted by chemical leaders today in order to navigate and succeed in the new reality post-COVID.
These were around smart work, and the need to accommodate virtual collaboration and remote work at scale; as well as cultivating physical and mental health capabilities.
The facilitators further recommended that CEOs should explore making their workforce, cost, and skill-planning more dynamic and create an adaptive learning ecosystem.
Furthermore, they emphasized on the need to lead with empathy and direction as well as fostering a culture of resilience, aligning purpose, vision, and values.
Finally, the session concluded with a discussion about the need to build a resilient and bionic organization, one where the operating model is simplified, and the power of data and digital platforms harnessed.
To learn more about GPCA’s Members Dialogue, visit this page.