Practical Advice for Businesses in Crisis: People Come First

With all that’s currently taking place across the globe, it’s important now more than ever to implement smart, thoughtful strategies in your business to weather the crisis. In this special blog series, Mike Sayre shares his advice for businesses navigating difficult waters.

People always come first!

Businesses are built and run by people. As a C-level leader, losing the trust and confidence of your people during a crisis can create additional challenges—or make your current crisis even worse.

How you treat your people, especially in times of crisis, will be remembered for years to come and will leave a lasting mark—positively or negatively—on your businesses’ brand.

Here are eight recommendations for how to care for your team during times of crisis:

• Transparency and timely communication are always appreciated, whether the news is good or bad.
• Refine and internalize your message so you can communicate it concisely, consistently and constantly. Consider your overall audience and keep your message simple and truthful when deciding how to deliver it. Don’t use jargon that some in your audience may not understand.
• Deliver bad news with some kind of credible plan. Detail how your organization will move forward and provide specifics on what you need from your people to make that happen.
• If your plan will take more time to develop, don’t wait to communicate. Let your team know you’re strategizing. Help them understand what they should be doing while the plan is being developed.
• DWYSYWD (Do What You Say You Will Do!)—but don’t say you will do things you can’t. This is crucial to building trust in times of crisis and uncertainty.
• Be visible, available, approachable, and open to the input of others—even if it needs to be through digital communication. Have an “open-door policy” via video conferencing, the telephone, text or email. Demonstrating that you are available and open to input shows respect. (And you may just get some better ideas than you currently have in mind.)
• Already off on the wrong foot? Pause and reset. Be authentic, apologize, and adjust your communications strategy! There’s still time to build trust.
• You can’t lead others if you can’t lead yourself! Right now, during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, there are plenty of great posts, articles, and webinars that are focused on helping you get through this crisis by keeping you safe and improving both your physical and mental health. Carve out time. Make your own well-being a priority.

Stay tuned for the next installment of this blog series, Practical Advice for Businesses in Crisis: Cash, where we’ll tackle strategies for cash flow in times of crisis.

Mike Sayre has successfully piloted businesses through times of crisis for over 20 years as a CEO, COO, CFO, and Board Director. If you would like to dive deeper into this topic or get help for your business, reach Mike at (740) 549-9500 x85 or mike@civilisconsulting.com.