One in four employees reported on a recent SHRM survey that they haven’t been told anything about how their organization’s leadership is reacting and adapting to the virus threat.
WHAT??????
The simplest, cheapest thing executive leaders can do during a crisis is to communicate with team members. It’s just not that hard to send an email, jump on Zoom, or make a call. And the cost is of doing those things is negligible while the loss of leaving your team in the dark can be catastrophic.
Ramp Up
Rather than ghosting employees, your internal communication should be more frequent than usual. Now is not the time to leave your employees guessing or in the dark.
Be Authentic
There will be hard questions on employees’ minds that you should answer honestly. If you don’t know the answer, say so. But promise to be upfront and transparent — and then follow through on that commitment.
Show Up
Don’t be afraid to use tools like video and Zoom rather than a carefully crafted email. The fact you care will be much more apparent via video than in a written piece of communication. And have some fun.
Mettise client Amshot is holding weekly virtual Zoom happy hours for their team members.
Imagine Yourself in Their Shoes
What would you want to know from your boss or leader in this situation? How would you feel about your organization? What would inspire or reassure you in a crisis?
Celebrate the Wins
Be more proactive than usual about celebrating wins such as business innovations, new clients, or excellent customer service. Employees need and deserve even more recognition than usual. Also, concentrate on how excited you are about the future rather than dwelling on recent misfortunes. Times like these are when your leadership has the largest impact.
The Mettise Group will continue to post frequent updates to bring you the most current information via social media and our COVID-19 resource page.
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