Leading Through Crisis (Part3)
What do the lack of toilet paper (TP) and the lack of change management (CM) have in common? If you said a messy situation, you’re on the right track. They are both a necessity to reduce the negative effects of another crappy ordeal and to prepare for the "new norm," since there will be big and enduring changes that emerge from this crisis. CM creates an atmosphere of greater partnership and peace in knowing how to proceed - preparing leaders and their organizations for necessary next steps.
We haven’t had a lot of peace lately, and last week we looked at some actionable ways that leaders can manage change through crisis like the one we’ve dealt with as a nation and world through the Coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdown. This week we’re going to focus on what a new way of work and life might look like once we return to business as usual.
Change management has been around since the beginning of time. Don’t believe us? Check out the book of Genesis where Adam and Eve had to relocate and fend for themselves. Thank goodness humans are complex creatures and able to adapt to changing environments! While some resist change, others embrace the “new way” and thrive. The Coronavirus pandemic forced us to abruptly change and adopt a new way of life as parents stayed at home full-time with their littles (awarding good behavior with sheets of toilet paper) or converted their dining room to a home office with a fully equipped kitchen. We relied on Alexa for DJ’ing our playlists and providing any information we didn’t want to Google ourselves; we depended on social media and technology to stay connected to loved ones, binged on Netflix and ordered food online or got local carry-out as a routine rather than a luxury.
But seriously, those of us who have studied organizational change and change management understand that even though this new way seemed temporary, more lasting and even permanent changes will make their way into our work as we move forward. Other than bathing in Purell or quarantining with a box of donuts in your office, what are some helpful ways to adjust to your return to work, maximize productivity, and prepare for what might be an enduring change to business life? Here are a few tips:
Be Happy. First, be a bright light for others. Don’t waste time discussing the negative aspects of the quarantine with co-workers. There are loads of tips on how to be get and stay happy from my (Beth) book, Powered by Happy[1]. One of my favorite tips are “Hang with a gang that gets it”. Surround yourself with positive people during negative times, they will lift you up when you are feeling down. It is critical that we support and encourage one another through this time. I have heard from numerous colleagues and friends who said they have read more of it in the last 3 weeks than since they bought it and how helpful it has been. TIP: Tell a funny story of your time away. Here’s one from me (Shannon): My hubby asked if he should grab anything in particular at the grocery store for the house and of course I had 56 items for him (who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt?) with one of the items being veggies. Guess what he brought home? A bunch of packs of vegetable seeds. Guess we will have fresh veggies sometime this summer. I could have gotten angry with his little joke, but instead, now we have a fun outdoor activity and can look forward to home grown produce!
Encourage and Care for your Team. Not all team members will be ready to jump right in the game. Some deal with depression and were wounded by isolation. Some had to care for sick loved ones, and some may have been ill themselves or had other tragic life issues that took place during the quarantine. Be compassionate, encouraging and ask how you can help. Be sure to follow up where you are able or assist them in finding help when you cannot help. No matter what, people are companies’ number one asset and should be a priority.
Capture Creativity. Incite “competitive creativity?” That’s right! Americans are scrappy and enjoy a good challenge. Tell others how you were creative and resourceful with one of your projects and how it will save your organization lots of money. We bet they will start thinking along those same lines. In fact, host a brown bag session and share ideas for increased efficiency, enhanced quality, cost savings or whatever challenges you were facing before the pandemic.
Determine New Demand. Assess the status of your projects or services and determine how you will adjust to meet new demands (increased, decreased, temporary, or permanent).
Strategize and Collaborate. Think strategically and collaboratively now more than ever. Reach out to surrounding organizations and seek ways to share resources to serve the public.
Evaluate Budgets. Know what resources you have to work with. What were the impacts on your budget? What does your new forecast look like? Odds are you will need to make some major adjustments to your budgets.
Evaluate Availability of IT. Assess your information technology as it was able or not able to support those working remotely. Was it enough? Was it sufficient but training was lacking? What kinds of feedback did you receive from your teams as the remote situation unfolded? It may be necessary to re-evaluate your current IT and communication tools and look at emerging trends in connectivity and collaboration.
Evaluate Use of IT. Evaluate your employees’ access to information. It’s one thing to be able to log into systems remotely, but it’s another thing to have the information in an electronic format as opposed to being locked up on file cabinets back at the office. Did employees utilize the communication technologies and platforms available to them effectively? Consider a quick survey to evaluate what worked and what didn’t and be sure to crowd source creative solutions that might have arisen organically as people got scrappy.
Critique Internal Communications. Determine how isolated from work employees felt. It’s not enough to have access to data and systems; people still have an innate need to feel connected and part of the team. Was communication an issue? If so, what can you do differently next time or going forward when telecommuting is required to make sure people are getting the right messages at the right times?
Identify Benefits Impacts. Evaluate the adequacy of employee benefits. Were benefits sufficient to meet the needs of your employees? If not, what alternatives, if any, are there to sustain your employees? Even if your current budget doesn’t allow for adjustments, consider phasing in future enhancements if necessary.
Consider Making Temporary Changes Permanent. Have new ways been identified to serve the public? If so, do your existing people, policies, processes, systems and pocketbook support an alternative approach? If not, consider an updated strategic plan and a thorough organizational assessment before sinking resources into practices that were recently replaced with new practices or operating models.
There is a lot we can learn from how we manage a crisis, lead through change, and guide our companies through troubled waters. Let’s make this a learning experience and be better prepared as people and as leaders, to practice what we preach and walk the walk next time we encounter a crisis.
[1] Thomas, B. (2010). Powered by Happy: How to Get and Stay Happy at Work (Boost Performance, Increase Success, and Transform Your Workday), Sourcebooks.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Shannon N. Sohl, CPA, PhD, has been with CGS since 2006. Prior to beginning a career in the public sector, she focused on audits, as well as financial processes and systems improvements in the private sector. As a CGS Senior Research Specialist, her areas of expertise include public finance, fin tech, government structure, as well as specialized public policy and public administration research, including organizational assessments. Her most recent accomplishment includes work as vice-chair of the XBRL US State and Local Government Standard Government Reporting, collaboratively developing a financial taxonomy for U.S. states and local governments with other thought leaders and domain experts.
Beth Thomas has more than 25 years of experience specializing in Transformational Business Change & Readiness, Leadership, Learning & Development, Culture Shaping and Employee Engagement. Her book, POWERED BY HAPPY, and the accompanying workshop, has guided her efforts and services in helping organizations shape productive cultures and employee engagement.
Beth previously served as Senior Vice President at JP Morgan Chase where she led the retail organization’s Learning & Change Management department across the country in support of their branch network. In addition, Beth served as the Head of Knowledge & Service Management for all Limited Brands, where she led Organizational Change, Learning & Service Management activities.
Beth is a globally recognized thought leader whose work has been recognized all over the world and she’s served as a trusted advisor to many Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, Beth’s professional work has been recognized with national awards and in several globally circulated magazines, newsletters and blogs. She is a contributing author on four books: On Demand Learning (Darin Harley), Implementing eLearning (Jay Cross and Lance Dublin), Learning Rants, Raves and Reflections (Elliott Masie), and Lies About Learning (Larry Israelite).