With everything going on in the world right now, it is particularly important to be conscious of management decisions. While a large part of today’s workforce is made up of the millennial generation and is used to being constantly attached to their devices, the management of entire companies from a distance is relatively unprecedented. Furthermore, this is a sociopolitical climate in which people are scared for the safety of themselves and their loved ones. While forging ahead into the unknown, there are many items that management will need to take into consideration.
Communication
Especially with the threat of COVID-19 on everyone’s minds, communication is a key aspect of managing a business. Eyal Gutentag, a performance marketing expert known for his ability to come up with creative solutions to difficult problems, suggests that two-way communication is especially important. Instead of just communicating downward what is happening at the company, managers should take the time to ask their employees how they are feeling. This check-in needs to encompass physical, psychological, and emotional well-being.
After ensuring that employees’ anxieties are able to be voiced, managers can then take the time to share their own feelings. While this may feel awkward at first, it will help to humanize management, allowing employees to feel safe in their environment.
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Conscientious Leniency
During this time, there will be many reasons employees may be struggling. A good example of this is employees that have school-age children. These parents most likely have kids at home that they will need to help through their distance education, to keep entertained, to feed, and to generally pay attention to. In these cases managers can choose to be lenient with employees on issues that come up to due working from home. Learning to manage these types of issues at the forefront will help to create an atmosphere that alleviates stress and concern for employees. Again, this is primarily about creating a comforting and safe space for employees when the world feels like it is falling about. It is impossible to know all of the hardships any one individual might be facing.
Marketing Through Outreach
Companies can further help the well-being of their employees and the community by creating outreach programs. With COVID-19 on the top of everyone’s minds, there is a lot of fear and fragmentation coursing through society. This is the best time for companies to reach out to the community and create avenues for those in need to get help. This will help to create a nurturing environment for employees, as they will be reassured that they are working for a company that wants to create positive change. Furthermore, a community outreach approach will be able to help many in need while giving companies visibility.
Community outreach might be providing a stable internet connection to students-in-need. Alternatively, a company might donate lunch for a week to a local Emergency Room. No matter what type of service a company chooses to provide to its community, every little bit counts. As the world moves into a post-crisis setting, this type of outreach will be remembered by the many people it affected. The climate of the world is scary and unpredictable. For this reason, it is important for management to take these matters seriously and place focus on making their employees comfortable and safe. Conversely, this will also give management a place to connect with their employees and find some comfort for themselves. As society moves forward through this pandemic, and on to a post-pandemic world, community outreach will help bring communities together and give companies a platform to show the world what their business stands for.
