Leaders need to be aware of the possibility of skill fade with their employees. Months of working remotely or performing other duties may have made them forgetful when it comes to certain tasks.
This has especially been a concern in the world of aviation, where Covid-19 meant many pilots had much less flight time. While the pilots have logged hours and hours of flights, over the years, do you want the person in the cockpit to feel a bit rusty? As a result, the industry has taken steps to make sure business as usual can be achieved.
The same challenge may affect your team. While you may say, “Shouldn’t they just remember these things?” that may not take into account the other items that have been added to their plates, pushing old practices into fading memories.
If something was important to do a certain way yesterday, then it’s important to get it right tomorrow. Consider these tips to make sure your employees aren’t suffering from skill fade.
Go Back in Time
Even if you haven’t experienced a lot of workplace disruption, it’s good to get everyone together and mentally transport themselves back to 2019. Have them think about tasks and procedures they did back then.
What are those things that people haven’t done for a while that should be brought back or done more often? At this point, you’re not judging the activities. You’re just listing them.
This exercise is also useful for those who have joined your business since the start of the pandemic. They may have no idea how things were done in the past.
Consider the Importance
As a leader, you now should evaluate the list and decide whether the old practice should be brought back or if some are no longer needed. And while every task may have value, you can’t ask people to do everything. That leads to burnout and retention issues.
Commit and Communicate
Talk to your team about the changes everyone needs to make. Think about this process as less about ordering and more about encouraging. This is where the communication component enters the picture.
It’s not unusual for employees to resist change but often that resistance is rooted in not understanding the why behind the change. Explain why things need to be done or done a certain way. Understanding opens the door to acceptance.
Set a Date to Prevent Skill Fade
You want to make sure that people have time to revisit or relearn old skills. This may require getting some outside help. Don’t make addressing skill fade something that is always talked about but never accomplished. Put a date on the calendar, so people will commit.
There will always be something else that needs to be done but to maintain productivity, you have pick a date and stick to it. There are always slow or slower times, like the day before a holiday, when you can schedule it.
This investment of time is like insurance. You’ll sleep better, knowing you have it.
But It’s Not That Big a Problem
While your business may have stayed stable and consistent during the past two years, you still may want to consider the challenges of skill fade. Think about those important things that have to happen only once or twice a year.
Do you feel comfortable that these tasks can be performed at a high level or does someone have to relearn them annually? That may not represent a good use of time. Better to master it now or create helpful instructions for down the road.
This is your opportunity to make sure things are consistently done the right way. You also may want to make sure that every infrequent but important task has a good backup. You don’t want your business to be hurt by an unexpected absence.
Let’s Create a Memorable Meeting
