How to effectively lead through a crisis and cultivate progress Sponsored by officedepot
This requires a delicate but important dance between acting swiftly to resolve immediate needs and making informed decisions that anticipate future market shifts.With the initial shock of the crisis waning for some workers, many executives are taking a page from this playbook as they look to leverage strategic opportunities brought on by the pandemic.
In fact, 89% of CFOs are focused on organizational change while 85% are committed to innovation, according to from BCG. Despite external stressors, energizing employees around these ideas and the larger company mission is still possible when leaders prioritize transparency, empathy and positivity.During a crisis, people look to leaders they can trust and believe in. One way to ensure you meet the mark is to have honest and open conversations with your employees about current business struggles and how you plan to navigate them, even if that plan isn’t fully fleshed out. “Communicating, even when you don’t have a clear answer but are saying you are evaluating a situation, is better than saying nothing,” says Claude Zdanow, founder and CEO of Stadiumred Group, a collective of specialist marketing agencies. However, in being transparent it’s also key to hit the right balance of optimism and conservatism when speaking to employees. This will help you avoid increasing any anxieties your employees might already have around the pandemic’s impact on job stability. “No one wants to work at a place where the leader is fearful every day or [implies] they might lose their job,” says Zdanow. “But people also don’t want to be blindsided or feel like they don’t know what’s going on.” Making yourself more available to employees during this time is a smart strategy for deepening relationships and inspiring confidence, whether through weekly office hours or company-wide town halls where staff members are encouraged to ask sincere questions. At Stadiumred Group, Zdanow says they’ve made an effort to replace written updates with video memos, for example, which can more effectively convey the leader’s mood and current outlook. “Just because everyone isn’t in an office together doesn’t mean they don’t want to see their leader and feel a connection to them,” he says.Crisis moments, despite their challenges, can also be big opportunities for company transformation, highlighting areas of the business that could use perfecting as well as revealing new possibilities for growth. Focusing on the organization’s potential, rather than dwelling on any losses, is an effective way to excite employees about the company’s future while boosting team morale. Essential to this mentality is knowing what you can and can’t control. “Business leaders can’t control the pandemic spread or state legislation, so focusing your energy on that is a waste,” says Zdanow. “You want to focus on the impediments in your business that you can control.” Today, that might includeWhile many leaders might be inclined to slow or halt their decision making or cut budgets out of caution, it’s possible that more defensive moves could result in being 10 steps behind category competitors once the pandemic lifts. Instead, a focus on agility and experimentation and an investment in growth opportunities can help maintain business momentum. “Playing the wait-and-see game is never a good idea,” says Zdanow. “You’re better off making adjustments now and pivoting again later than sitting around hoping that things will get better.”and whether digital, in-home touchpoints might be more effective. Are there new contactless payment or shopping methods that you might incorporate as consumers come out of quarantine or adjust their behaviors? Or perhaps tweaks to your product strategy that might make your offering more relevant to changing needs? Asking these questions and inviting your employees to weigh in or ask their own questions can provide a huge payoff for the company in the long run—with the tools to address today’s challenges while also setting it up for future success and empowering employees to take part in the journey. For Zdanow, business leaders and their teams should seize this chance to transform. “With every bad situation, there is always opportunity.” The ODP Corporation is a leading provider of business services, products and digital workplace technology solutions to small, medium and enterprise…The ODP Corporation is a leading provider of business services, products and digital workplace technology solutions to small, medium and enterprise businesses. ODP, operating through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, maintains a fully integrated B2B distribution platform of approximately 1,300 stores, online presence, and thousands of dedicated sales and technology service professionals, all supported by its world-class supply chain facilities and delivery operations. Through its banner brands Office Depot®, OfficeMax®, CompuCom® and Grand&Toy®, as well as others, the company offers its customers the tools and resources they need to focus on their passion of starting, growing and running their business.
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