The past few months have been at worst tragic, and at best disruptive. But even disruption can be painful. It tangles organized plans, challenges routines, and sabotages efficiencies. It disorients and destroys.
And yet, disruption can also be a gift. It engages thought, identifies vulnerabilities, and introduces new possibilities. It provokes reaction and inspires improvement.
This guide, created with these challenges and opportunities in mind, aims to support you in making the most of this disruptive time–to help you emerge from the COVID-19 crisis as quickly and successfully as possible.
- Craft the story and key messages you want constituents to know about how your organization will move forward.
- Describe clearly what is different and what will stay the same.
- Continue to acknowledge the ongoing stress of our current environment.
- Ask employees in different roles and situations what they need to return to work successfully.
- Learn the new technologies, systems, and processes people have adopted and share them.
- Celebrate progress and share plans for leveraging unexpected opportunities.
- Introduce new ways to foster a positive work culture and help employees connect.
- Open up about your own experience to help others connect with you.
- Clarify any changes to your performance expectations.
- Remind staff about the resources that are available to support them.
- Update written policies and make them available to those affected.
- Tell teams what will be happening next and when; admit what is still unknown.
- Encourage breaks for fun and self-care to boost creativity, wellbeing, and resilience.
- Provide something for employees to look forward to or anticipate.
- Smile and laugh, take deep breaths, and keep moving forward.
While it will take nearly unimaginable resources to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, this week’s McKinsey data points to brighter days ahead.
And that’s the best we could expect.
