How To Repurpose Your Employees’ Skillsets

People change. People adapt. People evolve. This has been true as long as the world has been around. When placed in the highest of highs and lowest of lows, people can blow your mind with what they are capable of. That time is now.

Everyone is being pushed into a different version of themselves. Those who were financially comfortable are suddenly concerned; those who thought they had a plan are realizing cancellations are inevitable. Everyone, including your employees, is adjusting.

They are growing, changing and digging deep to become their most creative, resourceful, efficient self. Take this opportunity to enable them to bring something to your company that they never have before.

That college grad that you hired for basic data entry may have a knack for coding that can save your marketing team hours. That stay at home parent that you hired to keep your office in order may be the wildest Pinterester that has ever Pinterested and can craft up something to make your clients feel valued and supported during such a stressful time. That accounting suit with their adding machine may be oddly insightful and waiting for their moment to propose the new service to offer that is going to keep you ahead of the competition. The list goes on. People are not resumes. Their talents and gifts stretch far beyond a one page educational and professional snapshot.

Your job is to know your people and to have made them feel so valued prior to the mess that they are willing to put their “non-professional” self out there in an effort to think outside of the box and chip in in unconventional ways. So how do you do this if you don’t have a running list of your employees’ hobbies?

Put out feelers. Simply say: “At this time we are focusing on “X”, and, while we know this is outside of your typical job description, anybody who has thoughts and insight into helping us with our efforts, please reach out. There are no bad ideas”. You will never get what you don’t ask for.