Companies are navigating their way through the Coronavirus scare with zero precedent - they are all making it up as they go along. Smaller companies are waiting to see what larger companies are doing and following suit. Conferences and employee travel have been cancelled. Employees are being asked to work from home to curtail the spread. These very same employees are also figuring out how to work from home effectively, especially if they have kids who might be also home-bound due to the virus. Universities have cancelled all classes through the remainder of the school year, switching to remote learning. Questions remain about how to handle PTO or compensation if hourly workers are quarantined.
The list goes on.
Quarantining and social distancing may help prevent the spread of the disease...but what about work? How do employers navigate work in this new environment? How should people be managed effectively? Companies are learning from each other, both locally and globally.
Employees have questions. Lots of them. And employers have limited answers - understandably.
And while it is hard to know what will happen, there are 3 things all people managers should be doing to navigate and minimize the impact of the Coronavirus on their people:
1. Reset Timelines and Priorities for Key Projects
People need time to sort out the temporary "new normal". Don't put your team in the position of over-promising and under-delivering. With the onslaught of changes and certainty, one thing is certain: the best laid plans will go haywire.
For each project, schedule "time" (pun intended) to talk with your team and revisit the timeline. Add in time wherever possible to ensure people can complete their work in a quality manner, access resources, research questions and address any issues.
Clients/customers are rowing the same boat and will be very understanding. Once you meet with your team, schedule "time" (pun intended again) to review the updated timeline with your clients. They will be equally understanding. Your project may have included steps that involved your client's feedback, resources, input and direction. They will be happy to have the extra time to ensure what they receive meets everyone's expectations without causing undue stress.
2. Revisit Performance Goals that Had Already Been Approved for the Year - and Revise Them
No one likes writing goals the first time. And definitely no one wants to revisit those goals but you must. The goals you originally established with your team were based on an entirely different set of circumstances internally and externally. It would be monumentally unfair to hold your team accountable for those goals without reviewing them.
- Remember each goal should be SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timely). If you haven't had the opportunity to talk with your team about how to establish SMART goals, now is as good a time as any to start. Use examples of what types of goals you would like to see or are expecting so your people understand the process and your expectations.
- Ask your team to review their goals and determine whether they want to make any changes. Tell them to reconsider the timelines and revise the goals based on what you all know now
- Work in a step to review the goals again in 2 months. There is too much uncertainty to lock them in for the entire year
- Review their proposed changes.
- Make suggestions of your own
- Finalize the goals - for now
3. Formalize - and Commit to - Your Communication Processes With Your Team
If you are all working remotely, communication will be critical to success. It might seem like the lines of communication are wide open, since you can just ping each other and ask questions. But that doesn't mean everyone is getting the same questions at the same time with the same answers.
You need to ensure your team feels cohesive even if everyone is remote.
- Set up a weekly group chat or zoom. Discuss the week's projects and expectations for the week. Ask "what does success look like" and let everyone answer
- During the week, as you receive questions, keep track of the answers. Send daily emails by COB to let everyone know what happened, outstanding issues, questions, items that were resolved and next steps
- Determine who will communicate with clients or customers and how he/she will let the rest of the team know what was said, decided or left unanswered
- Finish the week with a group chat or zoom. Discuss what went well, how the process is going, suggestions for improvement, issues, questions that were resolved and outstanding items
Key Takeaways
For all employees, the impact of the Coronavirus on work is uncertain and scary, with no definitive timeline. Employees can't operate under the status quo, because the status quo no longer exists. It's a whole new world.
To be "successful", managers need to create a "new normal" that includes new timelines, re-set expectations, new goals and better communication.
