5 Ways IT Can Help Business Leaders Adapt To COVID-19 Crisis

5 Ways IT Can Help Business Leaders Adapt To COVID-19 Crisis

The business community has experienced unprecedented disruption. By leveraging IT infrastructure and revising a continuity plan, leaders can overcome adversity. 

The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed our work-life existence, and industry leaders must establish day-to-day business operations to avoid slowdowns. Whether your organization shifted to remote network connectivity or has instituted safety measures such as workforce social distancing, everyday people may find adapting to new methods disconcerting.

Unsettling circumstances can inadvertently impact the morale and productivity of an otherwise highly motivated team. The health crisis could have a lasting impact on the way people across industries live and work. That’s why those in leadership roles may want to consider proactive measures to buoy positive thinking and long-term productivity. These are five things leaders can do right now.

Be The Vocal Leader Your Workforce Needs

In times of crisis, workers look to business leaders to set the tone and direction. Your valued team members need to see and hear you on a consistent basis. Communicating directly with an entire staff can be challenging, considering many are working remotely, and others cannot gather together for team meetings. But by enlisting the help of IT professionals, real-time connectivity can be achieved with these video conferencing apps.

• Zoom
• GoToMeeting
• Slack
• FaceTime
• ReadyTalk

These apps are easily downloaded into standard cell phones and other devices. Checking in on a semi-daily basis with consistent and positive messaging can go a long way to keeping everyone focused.

Promote A Trust Factor

When reaching out to key stakeholders, keep in mind that three groups will have concerns about future operations — customers, staff, and investors. While all may listen intently to messaging by CEOs and other leaders, they are likely to look for telltale signs of transparency or information withholding.

In order to maintain trust, outlining challenges shows you are genuine. Few, if any, believe the organization won’t face some level of COVID-19 adversity or disruption. By being reasonably candid and detailing solutions, all parties are more inclined to move forward under a defined banner.

Exude Fact-Based Confidence

Delivering confident messaging calls for poise and facts. In this time of uncertainty, your team members are routinely exposed to click-bait media messaging that peddle doom and gloom. Living in a digital age means everyday people are sometimes inundated with negativity.

Consider clearly articulating the status of the organization before the COVID-19 disruption. Don’t shy away from the possible downturn you are currently experiencing. But place that in a context that the federal and state government has rolled out a stimulus package that includes resources for small, mid-sized, and large entities to get back on track quickly.

There are also economists and industry experts highlighting the fact that positions are not going to disappear, and the economy could roar back in the coming months. The country appears to only be in a holding pattern. The facts point to patience being an asset.

Set Manageable Expectations

Depending on your industry and level of disruption, it might be unrealistic to expect productivity levels to not at least dip in the short term. Logistical considerations such as employees adapting to work-from-home distractions or navigating platforms such as Microsoft Teams and others require an acclimation period. If decision-makers pressure employees who are already anxious to resume top productivity, some may fold.

It may be worthwhile to reset productivity expectations as people grow accustomed to the COVID-19 work landscape. Put forward a plan that demonstrates management has compassion while setting an incremental uptick in expectations. Defined and reasonably actionable plans are more likely to motivate valued workers and get your organization moving forward.

Craft A Post-COVID IT Strategy

If the health crisis has taught the business community anything, it’s that disruption can occur at any time. In the past, industry leaders generally worked with managed IT experts on continuity and disaster recovery with severe weather impact and data breaches in mind. But the global pandemic illustrates that the time has come for robust digital transformation.

Work-from-anywhere capabilities, Cloud-based networks, and endpoint cybersecurity are likely to be driving forces once the virus has been defeated. How companies plan their IT today will determine whether they seamlessly overcome the next disruption or suffer a downturn.