COVID-19: Mitigating the People and Culture Risks
How we’re using our purpose to help organisations in need
The emergence of Covid-19 has turned business on its head. Whilst some organisations are already laying off thousands or going into administration, many are still working out how to address a situation that is totally unfamiliar, and what it means for them in the short- and long-term; indeed, a recent survey showed that as many as 39% of HR professionals do not yet have a business contingency plan in place to deal with the Covid-19.
From an employees’ perspective, job security looms large, as does protecting their health and that of their loved ones. Stress and anxiety levels are also likely to increase, with many millions having to acclimate to living and working in self isolation, putting staff morale and unity in a precarious position. Needless to say, as these translate into drop-offs in attendance, productivity and motivation, the impact on business performance will be huge.
New crisis, similar challenges
However, whilst this situation itself is unique, the challenges we face as a result of it have been experienced before. During the 2008 recession, lack of investment in culture was one of the top reasons cited by leaders whose businesses collapsed. Similarly, companies that chose to prioritise people and culture not only survived, but outperformed their competitors threefold (McLeod 2009).
In times of such drastic change where many of us will be feeling more isolated from friends, family and colleagues than ever before, those organisations that survive will be those where colleagues feel able to rely on each other to get the job done, are motivated by the work they’re doing (even if it looks very different to what they’re used to) and can get the practical and emotional support they need from each other, wherever they are working from.
Three ways to protect your organisation
At Kin&Co, we’re purpose-driven to make every organisation work for the world. Normally, we spend our time advising organisations of all shapes and sizes on how to engage employees and drive strong, united and productive cultures that fuel business success. In this time of crisis, we’re offering this expertise to our community. As a starting point, we are recommending that all organisations seek to address three basic areas as a priority:
- Best practice internal communications – make you sure you have a plan in place to deliver clear, regular, emotionally intelligent and transparent communications to all your staff
- Mitigating the mental health impacts – The anxiety created by this situation is likely to cause more attendance and productivity issues than the virus. Resilience and mental health training/tools for leaders will be critical in managing this.
- Maintaining a strong culture through uncertainty – with so many working from home, learning best practice remote working will be critical to keeping people connected. This can include things such as motivational tools, scheduled check-ins and more structured training
To advise on the above and offer more tailored advice to any organisation in need, we’re running pro bono advice sessions for CEOs, senior leaders and HR/People Leaders, including the 60-minute ‘Covid-19 and Your People – Risk Mitigation 101’.
We’re here for you, if you need us
We know that many organisations will be well into crisis management planning to address these challenges, but should you or any of your colleagues feel like you would benefit from some additional expertise, fresh thinking or outside-in perspectives on any of the above, please do get in touch on info@kinandco.com. This work is our bread and butter, and we’d love to help you through this challenging time.