We were talking on the phone when he said to me, “I get your point that we are no longer in the emergency phase of dealing with COVID. My question to you is a simple one. What should we be doing this summer to be better prepared for what’s next?”
“First, recognize that COVID has sucked all the oxygen out of the room,” I replied. “During the emergency phase, we had to focus on day to day operations. We had to survive the crisis. But now that we are in the adaptive stage related to COVID, we need to think again about the strategy of the company. Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What’s it going to look like? These questions need to come back on the radar screen otherwise we will be caught in an endless cycle of reactivity which is not good for you as a leader, and not good for the company.
So, with that in mind, I encourage you to read and discuss with your team the following article: Heifetz, Ronald, Alexander Glasgow, and Marty Linsky. “Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis”, Harvard Business Review, July-August 2009. The article will not solve all your problems, but it will give you and your team some common language and perspective as you move into the next three months. And having common language and perspective will give you and the team the ability to think creatively about operational problems and strategic challenges.
Next, it is time to plan and execute an After Action Report related to the first 90 days of COVID. They key to success when you read about how to do this (see my 4-14-20 blog on this subject) is that the process needs to be facilitated. This gives you as the leader the chance to think and listen carefully to what is being said rather than tracking the conversation and making sure everyone has had a chance to speak or clarify their thoughts. Whether that person is me or someone else, make sure your facilitator is knowledgable and capable of holding the space for safe and thoughtful dialogue. The goal here is to capture lessons learned so you can be better prepared for the future.
Furthermore, it is time to set up and then hold an in-depth strategic review. We need to evaluate the entire strategic plan and determine if it is still viable given the current internal and external environments. Recognizing the high degree of unknown variables within the market place for the foreseeable future, you may need to create a Bridge Plan (see my 4-22-20 blog on this subject) which spans the next 6-9 months. This new plan will allow for maximum flexibility in a complex operating environment.
Before you build a Bridge Plan, I encourage you to read the following book: Weick, Karl E., and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe. Managing The Unexpected: Resilient Performance in an Age of Uncertainty. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2007. As the authors write, “The ability to deal with a crisis situation is largely dependent on the structures that have been developed before chaos arrives.” Since the chaos has already arrived in the form of COVID, it is time to think carefully about what new structures need to be put in place to assure we are better prepared before another crisis comes into play.
For me, I think one of the core messages of the book is the importance of resilience. As Weick and Sutcliffe note, “No system is perfect.... The essence of resilience is therefore the intrinsic ability of an organization (system) to maintain or regain a dynamically stable state, which allows it to continue operations after a major mishap and/or in the presence of a continuous stress.” As they explain, “The hallmark of an HRO [High Reliability Organization] is not that it is error-free but that errors don’t disable it.” Recognizing that COVID is not a short term error, we must become more resilient in spite of the continuous stress of COVID plus the resulting economic uncertainty that it has created.
I also recommend you sit down with two different groups of people, namely your senior team and your marketing and communications team. With the former, it is time to develop an internal communications plan about the company’s direction during the coming 6-9 months so all employees are clear about what is most important and where they should focus. This will increase engagement, clarity and confidence in the company. It will also help you re-recruit your best players so they do not seek or accept new employment offers when the economy picks back up again.
With the later group, I recommend you develop an external communications campaign for all customers, partners, and shareholders. This will help people know you are clear about what is most important, and that you are moving forward in a productive and resilient manner given all that has happened. Market confidence in a company is as important as internal engagement.
Next, in mid-summer, I would plan on holding two table top exercises, using a military term, as a senior team. During the first exercise, I would explore in-depth the following question: How will we handle round #2 this coming fall, i.e the return of COVID plus a new flu strain which could result in a possible return to shelter in plan orders? The second table top exercise should explore the following question: What should we do if the economic fall out from COVID is a 3-5 year problem rather than a 6-12 months challenge? Both exercise have the possibility to anticipate problems before they become real problems and to generate real time solutions that could impact current operations and future choices.
Finally, starting this week, I would commit to holding routine and in-depth coaching sessions for the next 120 days. The emergency has passed and day to day operations are stable. Now, we need to help people reflect on what happened and prepare them for the future. Skill based coaching, and mindset based coaching are needed so people can maintain balance, perspective and focus. If you do not have the capacity to do this internally, then consider partnering with an external executive coach who knows you and your company. The key is to not let this important one-to-one work slip to the back burner. If we want better results moving forward, we need to invest time and energy into creating better people. As noted before, “The ability to deal with a crisis situation is largely dependent on the structures that have been developed before chaos arrives.” Routine coaching is one of those important structures.
I hope I have not overwhelmed you with what I would do this coming summer. But if you want to be well prepared, both operationally and strategically, for the fall and 2021, then now is the time to get to work.”
“That was a lot,” he responded, “but you have given me a road map for the summer which is practical and specific. Thanks.”
“My pleasure. That’s way I am a part of your team. I look forward to when we visit next.”
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