The last few months have without doubt seen a dramatic shift in how business is conducted. Life as we knew it has changed immensely over a very short period and businesses have had to change how they operate to adapt to these changes. Many have seen their turnover drop drastically almost overnight, and many have had to make some very tough decisions to survive, several involving the employment, salaries, and lifestyles of their employees.
As we start coming out of the crisis created by Covid-19, businesses will still have to continue changing, adapting and making tough decisions to get themselves back on track and to continue surviving and growing back to what they previously were.
You will not be able to cling onto how you did things in the past. Flexibility and adaptability are key words that will become part of everyday language; others, no less important will be Leadership, Communication, Planning, Understanding and Compassion.
Leadership
Effective leadership is vital in any business, however the need for it now will be even more so to get your business back on track.
- Some questions you should be asking yourself as you start exiting from the difficult times that the crisis has created include – Are my managers equipped with the required skills to lead the team through these difficult times and beyond? Are we conducting regular management meetings to give them advice on what message needs to be conveyed to their employees?
- It is important that during this period a consistent message is being given to employees, so your management team needs to know what to say and how to deal with difficult conversations with employees, as many of their employees will be feeling concerned and apprehensive about the future of the business, their jobs and their income.
- To help your managers to lead employees effectively out of the crisis it is important not to stop leadership training for your managers (although many companies may already have done this). Now is the time to ramp up training to ensure your managers have the right tools and knowledge to lead employees back into the workplace and have everyone moving and working together to get the business back on track, avoiding as much unnecessary confusion and anxiety as possible during the journey.
- Make the most of web-based and on-line training courses that have emerged during the crisis; these can be anything from short YouTube videos through to 4 or 5-day diploma courses on a wide and ever-expanding range of subjects. Many of these have the added attraction of being free, and they can be studied at home.
- Finally, different situations bring forward different skills and abilities in individuals; day-to-day work does not always give people the opportunity to shine. So, stop and think, has anyone emerged during the crisis as a potential leader, who appears comfortable in his/her ‘new role’ which they have evolved into due to circumstances? Take note of this and take steps to develop them further in their leadership skills, to allow you to truly strengthen your leadership team, and come out of the crisis ahead of the competition.
We at Embark can help you be different in these circumstances and make the most out of what opportunities are presented through promoting and supporting leadership qualities. Please do contact us. We are here to deliver value.
