If someone had told you in the first week of March that your entire business would be forced to move out of your office and into your employee’s homes overnight and would be managed entirely online, what would you have said?
Look at you now. Your team has found your remote work groove (not to mention cool Zoom backgrounds) and continues to find ways to meet your clients’ needs. Are there bumps? Sure. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. But, if you haven’t already done so, make sure you take the time to recognize and express appreciation for how quickly your team pivoted, came together remotely, and continues to serve your clients.
Then, escape for another walk and think about what you’ve learned from this process.
You’re not all together every day in your office. Do you need to be when this is all over? Welcome to the future. Talent is everywhere — you don’t all have to be together. Use this time to discover that and thrive.
Now, consider your employees. They’ve been through – and will continue to go through - a lot. You have seen employees step up and take on responsibility in new, impressive ways. You have probably also seen employees become overwhelmed and paralyzed by their own fear. Watch both sets, as well as those who continue to deliver pretty much as they always have. Think about:
Who is stepping up?
Who is going to have great ideas to move forward?
Who is going to think?
Who is going to become a better contributor to your business?
Who is going to work their ass off?
AND who is going to disappear?
It’s a time to get smarter about the way you do business and continue that when this is all over.
This experience is going to change us FOREVER. The future is now. We were always going to have to evolve the way we work and communicate – the COVID-19 epidemic just forced us off the high dive into the deep end early. We’ve been watching the younger generation and our kids adapt and thrive with new communication technology for a while now. It’s what they do. We must do the same.
HERE’S THE CHALLENGE:
1. Pull out your lease – when is it up? Make sure you understand exactly how much you spend a month on rent, utilities, office supplies, snacks and everything else that goes into maintaining a nice office. Then think about whether you will require an office space of that size (or an office space at all) when this is all over and your lease is up.
2. Make a list of your employees. Write yourself some notes on how each has done as they’ve adjusted to working remotely and teaching themselves new technology to get their jobs done. Reach out to clients to see if anyone has gone above and beyond, or, conversely, disappointed. If someone is performing poorly, is there something you can be doing or providing to help? If someone is doing a great job, make sure you let them know how appreciated they are. In a few months, check back on your notes to see if trends are continuing and if any adjustments need to be made.
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