Workplace skills for the post-pandemic workplace

Crisis and upheaval, fear and anxiety, are becoming an inevitable part of today’s workplace. These are the human challenges that will now define your career, says a top workplace communicator in a new book from Novaro Publishing

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James D Weekley

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In Workability, published on 9th September 2021, James D Weekley gives a real-life account of the often unexpected career skills that now really matter in global organizations.  He has been head of internal communication at RELX, a global business employing 30,000 people, for the last eight years. ‘New questions are being asked about the future of work as we exit the pandemic,’ he says. ‘Will people return to offices? Is homeworking sustainable for continued performance? How do we maintain the benefits people have enjoyed in more flexible working?’ At the same time, employee activism is becoming a force, he says, as campaigns for social justice reach the workplace. ‘Employee voices are becoming much more powerful, especially through social media. People are no longer prepared to stay silent if their employer falls short on issues such as race, ethnicity, equality, inclusion and diversity.’ ‘In combination, these two challenges are heaping yet more pressure on people’s ability to succeed in the modern world of work. The only way to manage is with exemplary human skills,’ says Weekley, who has been running programmes to engage employees from Tokyo to Manila and from London to New York for the last 25 years. Written as a series of highly readable stories for those building their careers, this book argues that it is less what you do that matters, but how you do it. Your workability depends on how you communicate and behave. Drawing on his knowledge of psychology, language, behaviour and communication, Weekley aims to help the reader think about how to manage the human challenges they will encounter in today’s workplace and how they can speed up their careers without losing themselves. Highlights include: how to be ready for the messy business of managing people and their widely divergent expectations; how to inspire change and overcome resistance when so many employees are feeling disengaged; how to handle the inevitable crisis or emergency that most of us face every two to three years; and how to manage yourself and others in toxic cultures. ‘James draws on his extensive business experience across multiple sectors to help others navigate business-related issues adroitly in today’s complex and uncertain world,’ says Chantal Tregear, one of Britain’s most respected leadership consultants and business coaches.  ‘It’s a personal narrative, written in a highly approachable style.’ For David Broome, a leading recruiter at the Broome Yasar Partnership, ‘this is a hugely engaging, grounded and practical read for anyone looking to navigate and thrive in the modern workplace’. At simplycommunicate, an organizer of global events about the digital workplace, Marc Wright comments, ‘I can’t think of a better way to learn how to navigate the modern world of work and the trade of crafting engaging communications’. ▪ ‘Workability: unexpected ideas for speeding up your career’ is published by Novaro on 9th September 2021 at £13.99, €15.99, $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-8380674-4-1. Further details at: https://novaropublishing.com/workability/.