Running a business during a crisis is extremely challenging for leaders. The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has changed all the rules, tore up many business plans, and is challenging organizations like never before.
During a time when uncertainty is a constant, how do you make sure your employees are performing at the highest level possible? These tips can help give you guidance:
Let Go of Perfection
Perfect takes a lot of time and energy. With uncertainty, your team spread out, and changing circumstances, aiming for good or very good is better.
Don’t think of this as lessening standards but adjusting to a new environment. A five star restaurant chef can make a good meal with only a campfire but the meal won’t be the same as what could be produced from a professional kitchen.
Identify Goals
Come up with short and long term business goals. These may be different from the ones you had at the beginning of the year.
Don’t assume your employees will know what to do or what’s the most important thing they should be doing.
For instance, traditional sales calls may not be productive in today’s environment. It may be better to check in with customers, see how you can support them, and then share that information with management.
Communicate a Lot
When you’re running a business during a crisis, uncertainty is in the air. Your employees will spend a lot of time wondering what’s going on.
Try to reduce the stress that comes from uncertainty through frequent communication. You don’t have to have all the answers and it’s okay to say, “I don’t know.”
The effort to communicate is what will be remembered and appreciated.
Get to Tomorrow
Get to Tomorrow represent three important words for when things are not going well. Very often, we hear a lot about success or overcoming a challenge but very little about what to do in that moment when things are not going well.
Your business may be struggling and there’s no one solution that will magically fix the problem. Certain things may be out of your control. You just have to find a way to Get to Tomorrow.
It doesn’t mean that everything will be perfect. There are going to be a lot of challenges and some bad days. These are the times when you struggle. In all cases, keep working on the problem.
There will come a day when something goes right. Sometimes success is just about making it through a tough day. It may not be total success. That’s okay. At this point, it’s important to realize you’ve taken one more step toward your goal.
This is a moment to celebrate. You may only have a minute to celebrate but make sure you do. You’re going to feel the pain of every setback, so honor your accomplishments, however small.
Persistence pays off but you may not know when. Can you end the day knowing you’ve moved closer to your goal? Yes, there’s probably more that needs to be done but you’ve made some progress. And sometimes that progress is just that you managed to Get to Tomorrow.
Here are some more tips in the video below:
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