…Discussion to focus on managing an anxious workforce during and post COVID-19
The question of how to effectively manage an anxious workforce in the face of the novel coronavirus economic crisis will be the centre of discussion, as the 2020 Ghana’s Most Respected CEOs Breakfast Series takes off today.
The one-day event is being held virtually on Thursday, June 25, 2020 for the first time, and is on the theme ‘Managing an anxious workforce during and post COVID-19 for business continuity’. It brings together seasoned business leaders and labour experts to deliberate on how businesses can successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and look to a brighter future post the crisis.
Organised by the Business and Financial Times (B&FT) in partnership with Vodafone Ghana, this edition marks the fourth in the series of the quarterly event, and features renowned speakers such as Dr. Hazel P. Berrard Amuah, HR and Leadership Expert; Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, HR Director, Vodafone Ghana; and Roland Teye, Head of Consulting, Deloitte Ghana; with Senyo M. Adjabeng, SPHR Labour Consultant and Arbitrator, as the moderator.
After the opening session, the panellists will take turns to respond to four sets of questions.
The first set or part will deal with personal experiences with COVID-19, wherein the panelists will answer questions relating to their individual experiences from March 2020 when the first case of infection was recorded in the country, to the first few things they did at work and at home and how they are handling the economic crisis brought about by the virus within their immediate environment, among others.
The second part will deal with workforce anxiety, crisis management & COVID-19, and the team of experts will be expected to provide answers to questions such as: what would they generally describe as an anxious workforce? Why would COVID-19 make a worker anxious? Is it that much of a crisis we should be worried about as business owners? How can such a situation (workforce anxiety) be prevented or managed in the workplace?
Part three, meanwhile, will delve into the impact of COVID-19 on business continuity – today and tomorrow. Here, the panelists will attempt to break down the negative impacts of COVID-19 on business, organisations that are doing well to sustain their businesses so far and vice versa. Also, what could have been done differently; and most importantly, will businesses survive COVID-19 at all?
The final or fourth part of the programme is the conclusion. This will answer questions on business continuity during and post the crisis. More specifically, the experts will propose bold and major recommendations that organisations must take in order to survive beyond the pandemic, and the role of workforces going forward, among other insights.
Commenting ahead of the event, Vodafone’s celebrated Human Resource Director said: “In such difficult times, employees look to leadership for comfort and direction. However, many organisations do not realise that communicating, managing and addressing employees’ concerns are paramount, especially during a crisis.
“Many businesses are shifting from their old paradigm to a new way of working, and taking active steps to survive during and after the COVID-19 period. Employees are increasingly feeling a sense of anxiety. Leaders needs to pay close attention. I am excited and look forward to sharing my thoughts and some best practices from Vodafone during this period.”
Ashiokai is a global transformational HR Business Leader and a Certified Coach and Trainer. She is a multi-lingual HR professional with a global mind-set and knowledge and expertise working with highly matrixed multinational organisations in the United States, the United Kingdom and Africa.
She has over 20 years’ experience working with various Fortune100/500 organisations, leading global teams to execute on the people agenda. She joined Vodafone Ghana in April 2016 as Director of Human Resources, where she is responsible for setting the people agenda and working with the CEO and her leadership team to set the strategy for Vodafone Ghana.
Dr. Hazel P. Berrard Amuah is a multiple-time award-winning seasoned HR and leadership professional with over 20 years’ experience in the field. She is also a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative-West Africa, and an inaugural fellow among 100 Africans in the Pan African Leadership Initiative.
She is a leadership enthusiast and known for her popular HBA TAUGHT AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP NUGGETS, which she uses to share her thoughts on leadership in social media. She is the founder and lead consultant at People Factory, which is a private human capital and business strategy firm aimed at helping people and organisations grow and unleash their potential. She is also the Founder of the NGO, Reach Out and Share Foundation, aimed at supporting the underprivileged in society.
Roland Teye is the human capital and consulting marketplace leader. He has spent over 12 years delivering human capital solutions to clients across multiple sectors, both as a practitioner and a consultant. He has worked in Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the Gambia, and has led the transformation of businesses across some of those countries.
Roland is a trained Occupational and Organisational Psychologist, and has been involved in developing bespoke solutions for clients. He has extensive experience in organisational transformation, organisational development, organisational behaviour, psychometric design, capacity development, application of psychological interventions and management coaching, having worked on various assignments for clients in both the public and private sector.
Prior to joining Deloitte, Roland was responsible for managing the PwC Advisory business in Liberia and continuously provided support to Ghana business in the area of business development. He was also responsible for establishing and managing the PwC Business School in Liberia.
Senyo M. Adjabeng is a labour consultant, and mediator/arbitrator listed with the National Labour Commission. He is a trained non-executive director and member of the Institute of Directors, Ghana.
His specialisation is employment relations in mergers, acquisitions, workplace investigations and employment law. He has a total of 17 years work experience. He studied Minerals Processing and Metallurgical Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He also holds a Master’s Degree in Conflict, Peace and Security Studies, as well as a Post Graduate qualification in Business Administration and International Relations and Diplomacy.
Senyo Adjabeng is author of the book ‘Career Toolkit for successful job hunting’, and several articles on HRM, disputes resolution and corporate governance. At the moment, Senyo Adjabeng is Country HR Manager for WBHO, a multinational civil and mining construction firm. He is also a certified senior professional in Human Resources (SPHR – USA).
