This post was inspired by Paths for Organizational Resilience by Regan MacBain Traub, CPC of The Human Resource Consortium.
The COVID-19 outbreak is changing the economy and the nature of work as we know it. Millions are unemployed or on furlough, while even more people suddenly found themselves working from home.
While individuals try to make sense of this new reality, for business owners and company leaders, it’s also a firm reminder of the critical importance of a business continuity plan and clear communication.
As leaders try to minimize the disruption to their businesses, here are three ways companies can strengthen the resilience of their organizations in uncertain times.
Stay connected
With many professionals joining the remote workforce from home, it’s vital that employees feel connected to their company and its leadership.
With a powerful tech stack for remote teams, your company can have regular video conferences, emails, and other interactions that can help people stay up-to-date and connected with each other.
Two-way communication is more critical than ever. A change in the working environment and emerging challenges may spark innovative and creative ideas that could transform your organization.
Downtime is a great time for learning
Another way to strengthen your organization during unpredictable periods is to ensure employees are up-to-date on policies and procedures.
Offering webinars and online training is a great way for people to learn how what they do day-to-day is connected to the bigger picture that helps everyone in the organization succeed.
Executives shouldn’t be exempt. As new challenges emerge, it’s also important to ensure your company’s brand messaging aligns with where your organization is headed. Clear brand positioning can help you navigate uncharted territory.
Plan for future staffing needs
Depending on your industry, a public health or economic crisis might not lead to layoffs but rather exposes where more staff is needed.
The COVID-19 outbreak left many healthcare organizations and grocery stores scrambling to find qualified people to meet new demands.
A business continuity plan that focuses on ways that laid-off workers could be retrained or how to offer training for entry-level workers to fill critical positions could be what helps your organization weather the disruption.
How are you building resilience during uncertain times?
Staying connected with employees, offering training courses, and planning for future staffing needs are three opportunities for your organization to stay productive in uncertain times.
Whether it’s a global pandemic or another recession, you won’t regret building resiliency into your business continuity plan.
Want more tips?
This post was inspired by Paths for Organizational Resilience by Regan MacBain Traub, CPC.
