I'm in the throes of difficult planning sessions with clients as they seek to communicate with and ready themselves to care for their team members and customers in a time of heightened uncertainty associated with the coronavirus. For some clients, these conversations revolve around possible disruptions in a supply chain; for others, it takes the form of remote sales strategies or enabling team members to work from home. Maybe I am unusually lucky, but in contrast to political leaders who can get bogged down in blaming their opposition for problems, the people with whom I work are spending all of their time looking for solutions on behalf of their team members and customers.
When my children were young, I remember tucking them into bed and allaying their fears of imaginary monsters lurking in the corners of their room. I was certain I could vanquish the monsters that they feared. Unfortunately, I also knew I couldn’t always protect them from every monstrous person or event that existed outside of their windows, but that I would do everything (and I mean everything) in my power to make their lives as safe as possible. From my vantage point, people in the companies with whom I work are acting with the same level of care, concern, leadership, and passion as I do and did with my children. If you're planning contingencies for the experiences of your team members or customers, feel free to reach out to me here and we'll find a time to talk.
