The novel Coronavirus is like a natural disaster in some ways. Yet, in other ways, it is very different. Our current pandemic will have long-lasting effects. It will affect people, but not so much property or your resources. In other words, when this comes to an end, your ability to make products will still be there.
This situation is an issue affecting people. So the most important thing you can do right now is to stay connected to your people. Your people include employees, customers, and suppliers.
They are going to feel isolated. You're going to feel lonely.
Maintaining some form of connection is essential, more now than ever. If you don't have much information to share, that's fine! You can share what you do know, and the fact that you don't know everything is fine too. Also, be open to listening to others' ideas. Employees may have ideas on how you can recover from this event, for example.
So, how can you stay connected? Here are three ways you can stay connected while still practicing social distancing:
Simple one-on-one phone calls: picking up the phone and making a call can go a long way.
Conference calls: Schedule a time where all of your employees come together and use a resource like FreeConferenceCall.com to connect.
Video calls: Using a video conferencing platform, like Zoom, is a great way to have more connected conversations.
During recovery, you may have to have a more significant focus on things like cash flow and money. But recovery is very much going to be about your people. Staying connected, sharing what you do (or don't know), will help you to prepare them to come back to your business in the best way possible.
