Covid-19: It’s a People Thing. Talking Business Strategy for the ‘New-Normal’

By Chris Jacobs, OIM International, Director & ER Specialist

The internet is currently awash with articles on strategies to address business survival & eventual business prosperity because of the varied impact of Covid-19. Many of these focus on the so-called ‘hard elements’ of business i.e. systems, processes, technology, equipment, machinery etc. The so-called ‘soft elements’ in the business, i.e. the PEOPLE & business culture, is most times forgotten but is just as important for the success of any new strategy; as it is the PEOPLE (employees) who will drive & execute this new business strategy.

At OIM International we believe: Mindset & cultural change must often precede organisational change, to allow the sustainable operational change & sustainable business improvement. No strategy for the ‘New-Normal’ can have any hope of success if it does not live in the hearts & minds of the employees. This requires a fundamental change of how people think about their roles within a business & the intertwined destiny of their own ‘Better Life’ & the prosperity of the business.

Focussing on people goes much further than only their health & safety, ergonomics & physical work environment. It’s not just about social & physical distancing or wearing of masks or meetings in Zoom or Microsoft Teams. It’s about addressing their level of understanding of the world in which they live & work, how that world has changed & how it will continue to change once lockdown has lifted or ended. The uncertainty that comes with the ‘New-Normal’ can play havoc with the thinking & mindset of even the most productive & dedicated employee. Empty slogans, stating that our human capital is our biggest asset, does not cut it for most employees, especially as they observe their leaders spending most of their time on the ‘hard’ operational issues. People must be central to the new strategy & they must experience that they are part of the strategy & engage with the strategy on an operational, tactical & strategic level.

Employees come to the workplace with a certain thinking which impacts on their understanding of their own world. That in turn, impacts their perceptions, attitudes which therefore determines their behaviour.

For example; if I have the impression & experience that I am not valued by the business, this will lead to ‘stinking thinking’ & in turn will result in ‘stinking behaviour’. Trying to mobilise me to save the business or turn it towards prosperity will all be in vain if my holistic understanding of the situation in which I live & work is not positively affected. Ongoing involvement & engagement with employees on the ‘New-Normal strategy’ & how it affects me, my colleagues & the business is therefore imperative.

Tapping into the knowledge, experience, skills & talents of employees is what will harness positive energy into the successful execution of any strategy. Mobilising the combined efforts of truly engaged & committed employees is infinitely stronger than expensive systems & processes on its own. Focussing the positive employee energy on how to sustainably improve productivity, service levels, quality & reduce costs etc will make them part of the solution; not the problem.

In all of this, employees want to feel & be reminded that they are valued, & that business can be conducted in a safe & healthy manner. Key concepts would therefore include involvement & effective communication ensuring commitment to innovation & continuous business improvement.

Right now, because of the Covid-19 / Coronavirus lockdowns, people are worried about their ‘job certainty’. All around, businesses are restructuring & laying off employees. Making people part of protecting their own ‘job certainty’, through their own efforts; makes for a much stronger rallying call to address the burning platform. This in itself is a MINDSET thing & a people thing! Weigh up the negative & cancerous effect of constant & often drawn out restructuring with the uncertainty about my job over a positive message & focus of: Together, we can do it! Remember the wise words of the great French philosopher Molìere who said: “Uncertainty is worse than bad news”.

A wise leader once said: “There are no bad battalions only bad officers!” The mindset of leaders will also determine if the battalion i.e. the workforce will rally around the strategy for the ‘New-Normal’. Providing clear purpose & direction, a required responsibility and key competence & skill of good leadership, will help ensure a greater cohesion and commitment among the workforce. If the battalion is not committed & focussed, the officers only have themselves to blame & not the battalion.

In the coming weeks, OIM International will be publishing a series of articles aimed at stimulating thinking on how to address some of the challenges of the ‘New-Normal’. Your comments will be valuable to further a debate that may assist in formulating strategies and actions that sustain business but also lead to long term prosperity.