It’s been a roller-coaster of a year, with more ups and downs, twists and turns than many of us have ever experienced before. The pandemic stopped many businesses in their tracks for a few months. As things gradually opened up, companies had to retrench and rethink everything they were doing. Our firm made strategic pivots on many fronts: sales and marketing, content creation and our positioning. We ended the year in decent shape with business trending in the right direction.
There’s no question that our strategies during this crisis have been shaped by downturns we’ve encountered in years past. We drew on lessons learned during those prior experiences to guide and help us make better decisions this time around. It’s human nature to remember failures more than successes, but you’re not doomed to repeat past mistakes. The key is to learn from them.
Sharing those hard-earned insights with the team is critical. Talking candidly about previous missteps helps everyone on the journey toward success. Authentic communication makes it easier for the team to take those lessons to heart and accept guidance from someone who has been there before. That leads to better outcomes. Here are some takeaways from our experiences that might be of value to other business leaders.
Stress communication and flexibility
During times of crisis it’s tempting to hunker down and wait for things to get better, but leaders can’t afford to do that. It’s important to be visible and maintain a connection with the team. If your staff perceives that their leaders have disappeared, they’ll quickly panic. Communication can prevent that from happening. To use an old sports adage, “the best ability is availability.”
Transparency is essential. Sometimes you have the answer and can share it, but other times you have to admit you don’t have the answers. Give as much information as you can, but don’t make anything up or make promises you may not be able to keep. Also be aware that there’s a fine line to walk here. You want to give enough information to maintain credibility, but not so much that it’s distracting. Be consistent and clear in the way you communicate with the staff so they know what to expect and when.
Flexibility is a must. Some people are in the new situation of working from home, often shouldering new childcare or teaching duties, so make adjustments as needed to accommodate their needs. Clear communication creates transparency and trust for the rest of the team, so explain when they’re required to be available and what forms of communication you will be using, like simple, diligent calendaring. This can limit the confusion and stress of working from home and create a system of accountability and understanding.
Trust your team
Given the nature of remote work, it’s inevitable that you’ll lose oversight of the team at times. Don’t worry that they won’t do the work if you can’t see them. They’re grownups and professionals and you’ve created an environment of accountability so trust them. The best way to handle the lack of oversight is by setting clear expectations. There is a great acronym out there: EWBEWBEW. Exactly What By Exactly Who By Exactly When.
Specify new goals and metrics of success so people can plan accordingly. What do you want your team to achieve today, this week or month? Make sure that employees have everything they need to fulfill your expectations and be available to clarify your goals along the way.
Don’t prolong tough decisions
At some point you may encounter financial difficulties, forcing you to make tough decisions -- sometimes involving furloughs, pay cuts and staffing changes. This is one area where experience taught us a valuable lesson. No matter how these changes are handled, there will be pain. We’ve learned it’s better to act quickly, get through it and start healing.
That was our approach in 2020. We considered the financial and operational metrics along with the human side of things, enabling us to make better decisions than we had in the past. While we did furlough about 20% of our staff last March, we were able to maintain health insurance and benefits for them. We also remained in consistent communication with the entire team. In addition, ownership volunteered, and management accepted, significant pay cuts to limit the damage and get our teammates back to work as soon as possible. And, it worked! Within 60 days, we brought back everyone except a couple of folks who had taken jobs elsewhere, and by the end of the year, we were able to restore the lost salary to managers who’d taken temporary cuts.
That resulted in relatively little disruption for our team and our clients. Our employees were appreciative overall, expressing gratitude for the way things were handled. You can’t buy that. It comes from a culture of trust and credibility and transparency. Employees know they’re getting the straight story with the overall good of the Company in mind, and that’s all anyone can really ask for.
Find the silver lining
Though any crisis is challenging, it does offer opportunities, unlikely as that may seem. Look at it as an organic stress test to uncover your organization’s systemic flaws and weaknesses, then address them. A crisis can also gauge your team’s loyalty and the strength of your values. Further, this year changed our views on our role in society and the social impact we can and should be making.
Remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint; give yourself and your team extra time and flexibility so everyone can be at their best. In the end, you’ll come out stronger on the other side.
Interested in writing for the Bureau of Digital blog? We’re always looking for guest bloggers! Reach out to smith@bureauofdigital.com.