Corona Chronicles
*Article also appears in The 2020 Q3 Prouty Pulse.
The uncertainty created by COVID-19 prompted the Prouty team to get curious. With an interest in learning about other organizations, their leaders, and the impact of a pandemic on business, we began Corona University. Our daily team meetings featured guest faculty from around the country. In those conversations with over 50 leaders, the following themes surfaced.
- Physical and Emotional Wellbeing
Safety was primary in conversations. From grounding planes to closing plants to working virtually, wellbeing was noted as the first concern of leaders when making decisions to close businesses. For many, in forecasting a lack of revenue for the foreseeable future, it prompted tough yet unavoidable decisions for layoffs, furloughs, and pay cuts. In all conversations, the leaders’ care and concern for their people came shining through.As Angela Heikes, President and CEO of SMSC Gaming Enterprise shared, “I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to make the right decision. We needed to ensure that people would be safe.”
- Time for Innovation and Creativity
Now is the time for creativity, for new ideas – to explore and find the opportunity in disruption. For some, innovation will push the digital limits. Some will diversify markets. Some will conceive of new ways to manufacture products. For others, it will involve bringing thousands of people together, safely.For DLR Group, innovation includes their competitors. Griff Davenport, CEO, shared, “Our industry has come together to learn from one another and in turn has become a family in some ways.”
- Empathy for Employees
CEOs discussed the empathy they have for their employees tackling childcare, homeschooling, and health care needs (to name a few). Each was overt in sharing the importance of understanding and responding to the current employee experience. CEO Rob Holt of Super Radiator Coils shared what it means to be full of oxygen, so you may bring your best, supportive self to others. Perhaps your oxygen is running, singing, or reading. Rob asked us,
“What are you doing to put your oxygen mask on?” - Stay Connected and Communicative
Communication, transparency, and truth. It’s what people want. The leaders who joined us for Corona University shared sentiments and stories of how they “showed-up” for their employees. From communication on the state of business to building culture and team from afar, regularly connecting with teams is imperative. As Molly Simmons, partner from McFarland Partners said, “Human beings run businesses, spreadsheets don’t.”