Canadian HR Reporter

www.hrreporter.com 27 LEADERSHIP SERIES THERE ARE few times in living memory when events have prompted a collective reassessment the way the coronavirus pandemic has. Long-held views, laws and restrictions have fallen by the wayside, and policy ideas once thought risky and experimental are now seen as necessary. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AN AGE OF RE-ASSESSMENT ABOUT QUEEN'S IRC: The Queen's University Industrial Relations Centre [IRC], a professional development unit within the Faculty of Arts & Science, delivers programs in labour relations, human resources and organizational development, based on 80 years of experience and research. Our programs are led by industry leaders and designed for busy practitioners who want to directly apply their knowledge to their work environment. Human resources: Learn how to build and engage teams in multi-disciplinary environments, manage change, and transform key HR data into business strategy. Labour relations: Develop the skills to effectively handle disputes and negotiations, build trust, and manage unionized environments. Organizational development: Diagnose organizational challenges, explore design issues and develop robust solutions. Choose from two to five-day open enrolment programs delivered across Canada or customized on-site training solutions that address your organization's specific needs. We also offer certificate programs in advanced human resources, organizational development, labour relations and advanced labour relations for professionals who want to continue to develop their skills and contribute to their organization's success. Why Queen's IRC? • Opportunities to network with high-level colleagues from across the country • Coaching from internationally renowned facilitators with real-world experience • Experiential programming to test theories and ideas • Skills and strategies that directly apply to work environments • Mentoring beyond classroom sessions Learn more at irc.queensu.ca Organizational development experts lay out the new thinking around strategic plans organizations will have to make use of as we enter a post- COVID world Analysts note that the aftermath of the pandemic might force a type of societal rebuilding comparable to the postwar reconstruction of the late '40s and '50s. Governments will change, new ideas will inform practices — and every organization, no matter how small, will have to reassess its approach to business. Executives and HR leaders can take this opportunity to think about and design modern strategic plans that reflect the future they want for their organizations in order to remain viable, relevant and successful. "The COVID-19 crisis spurs all of us to reflect on where we have been, where we are and where we are going," Queen's IRC director Stephanie Noël says. "It prompts us to review our strategic plans to see if they still make sense in this world. Are our goals still relevant? If so, are they still achievable? Has this crisis altered our ability to deliver on these goals? How can we support our employees as we evolve as an organization?" Noël and her team at the IRC are advising leaders as they seek answers to those questions, pointing them to the changes in strategic planning over the years. "Ten years ago, executives would go on a retreat and create a strategic plan," says Françoise Morissette, a leading author, facilitator and one of the founders of the IRC's Organizational Development c urric ulum. "Consideration for customer expectations, employee perspectives, trends for the future or best practices was often uneven, if not fractured." The executive team would meet at a resort, come up with a plan and then the

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