Newsletter
December 2020 Issue: Co-operator Newsletter Quarterly Issue
Adaptability - Our Best Asset
While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented challenges for many, we are inspired to hear how some co-operatives in Singapore have adapted to cope with changes.
Adaptability is defined as an ability or willingness to change in order to suit different conditions. It’s no surprise then that adaptability has become a critical trait for any organisation if they want to stay on top of a rapidly evolving world.
Co-operator reached out to T.G. Gritharan, General Manager of TCC Credit Co-operative (TCC) and Klvin Chong, Course Consultant from NTUC LearningHub Co-operative (NTUC LHUB) to find out how important adaptability has been for them in this season of unpredictability.
The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a real test on adaptability - the more creative and flexible organisations are in facing new or changed situations, the more capable they would be in riding through the global economic crisis.
Adaptability is defined as an ability or willingness to change in order to suit different conditions. It’s no surprise then that adaptability has become a critical trait for any organisation if they want to stay on top of a rapidly evolving world.
Co-operator reached out to T.G. Gritharan, General Manager of TCC Credit Co-operative (TCC) and Klvin Chong, Course Consultant from NTUC LearningHub Co-operative (NTUC LHUB) to find out how important adaptability has been for them in this season of unpredictability.
WHY IS ADAPTABILITY IMPORTANT TO YOUR CO-OP?
| T.G. Gritharan: Adaptability in the workplace means being able to change to become successful. The need to constantly evolve and adapt is fundamental to growing our business and ensuring our long-term progress. As a not-for-profit financial institution, TCC has been providing members with a safe repository for savings and access to credit at affordable interest rates for more than 95 years. We hope to continue serving our members well into the future as we listen and stay relevant and flexible in our approach. |
| Klvin: Adaptability is about being agile and quick to react promptly to changes. As one of the biggest continuing education and training providers in Singapore, we seek to help companies and workers upskill, adapt and thrive in the New Normal. NTUC LHUB helps businesses unlock the full potential of their most valuable asset – human capital. We are also active in the development of workers to be Industry 4.0 ready, with the necessary Technology, Adaptive and Technical Skills. |
WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOUR CO-OP MADE TO STAY ADAPTABLE?
| T.G. Gritharan: We made changes to our application process and leveraged on technology to ensure that our members are well served. Most of our members are digitally-savvy these days and they expect us to be aware of new technology, adaptable to the digital age and constantly look for solutions to their needs. |
| Klvin: To ensure learning continues during the circuit breaker, we provided virtual consultation and made a fast transition from face-to-face classroom training to virtual training for most of our popular courses. There were initial challenges with trainees finding it hard to log on and not used to best practices for virtual classes. However, with patient guidance from our trainers and operations team, many of our trainees have adapted well. We constantly refine our virtual class delivery with feedback from our trainees. As we move into Circuit Breaker Phase 2, we gradually move towards a hybrid model where trainees get to experience a mix of virtual and physical lessons with a smaller class size. |
HOW HAS BEING ADAPTABLE TO CHANGES HELPED YOUR CO-OP?
| T.G. Gritharan: Over the past few months, the COVID-19 situation has changed the way we connect and communicate with our members. For safe distancing reasons, we have taken many of our meetings online. Through these virtual sessions, we continue to stay close to our members. We also continue to engage our members on the digital platform. |
| Klvin: We were encouraged by the enthusiasm of our trainees to upskill during the circuit breaker period. Some of the more popular sign ups were courses under SGUnited Skills Programme, Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBF) Future Skills Programme and NTUC Training Fund (SEP) Programme, which allow trainees to tap on their SkillsFuture Credit, NTUC UTAP Funding as well as receive training allowance as they learn. By converting most of our training to virtual classes meant that we could help workers continue their upskilling at a time when it is most needed for better employability. To help workers learn anytime, anywhere, we also partnered GO1.com to launch LHUB GO, an online learning platform. We are currently offering 100 free courses for everyone and 200 free courses to NTUC union members till February 2021. |
HOW DO YOU PERSONALLY STAY ADAPTABLE IN THIS FAST-CHANGING WORLD?
| T.G. Gritharan: We know that due to the current pandemic, maintaining a connection to our members is very important. Members are finding ways to upgrade themselves digitally and as such, so must we. Our focus on digital marketing is to ensure members are able to connect with us through platforms like Facebook, E-Newsletters and EDMs, and know the latest in TCC is important to us. Innovative solutions like editable online application forms to speed up the process is key to us as they ensure that TCC’s business remains sound and our members’ trust in us never wavers. |
| Klvin: I stay adaptable by being agile and open-minded. In my work as a Course Consultant, I see the importance of being flexible, and how thinking out of the box will help explore new technology and workflow to improve processes to serve our customers better. It is important not to be afraid to experiment with new ideas and make refinements along the way. For example, during the circuit breaker period, our team created a video guide for new trainees to facilitate their course registration on our website as well as claims process on the SkillsFuture Singapore portal. |
The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a real test on adaptability - the more creative and flexible organisations are in facing new or changed situations, the more capable they would be in riding through the global economic crisis.
The heart is the most important organ to keep the body going. Similarly, having a heart for the community is what makes co-operatives different from any other business. This H.E.A.R.T. series strives to outline areas that can help ready co-operatives for a world of changing needs.
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