COVID-19: a cultural-building opportunity
Just a few weeks ago, COVID-19 seemed like a threat in a far off land, but as we've seen, the situation is quickly evolving. Businesses cancelling non-essential travel, schools shutting down, conferences and sporting events cancelled. And people are panicking. Stores are sold out of hand sanitizer, toilet paper and water. It's easy to go down the rat hole of negative thoughts--in fact, our brains are wired to be more receptive to negative information.
Crisis creates opportunities for behavior change, and with that, can come cultural change. People are primed to try new behaviors to try and create a sense of order. What are some things you can do to reinforce behaviors that can build culture?
1) Focus on connectivity (without the hand contact).
Now is a great time to try out virtual solutions, especially for organizations where "walking down the hall" is part of the culture. If your office is closed or employees need to work from home, can you use this opportunity to get better about virtual meeting technology? Go beyond conference calls and see how screen sharing can help create connections even if people aren't in the same room. These are skills that will take your organization beyond this current situation.
2) Be proactive about communications, and keep communicating.
With the online and TV news talking about the flu and COVID-19 all day, this is undoubtedly on people's minds. Last week, I got a great email from my yoga studio addressing the topic, what they were doing to increase their cleaning schedule, and some reminders for students (stay home if sick, wash your hands frequently). These were reinforced with signs in the studio. How can you communicate proactively to your employees and customers about your plan? And if your organization doesn't have a crisis communication plan, now is a great time to start working on one.
3) Stay flexible.
The information you have today, may be different tomorrow. Adjust business practices if you need to (airlines are waiving change fees, and increasing the cleaning protocols are a great examples). Have a plan, see it through, and know that the plan may need to evolve as the situation does. It's a great time for leaders to model agility.
4) Remind people that self-care is good for business.
No one benefits from people being sick. Remind employees and customers that taking care of oneself, proactively, and if they fall ill, is better for everyone. Reinforce that behavior by creating an environment where people know they can stay home without retribution.
