COVID Ripple Effect

Story Highlights:

• Understand your organization has ripples whether you see them or not
• Identify the ripples in your organization
• Address the ripples before they become tidal waves

Understand what’s causing Ripples

History will likely show this period during the COVID-19 pandemic to be one of the greatest learning opportunities that organizations will ever have. The operable word “pivot” is frequently used to describe the challenge in terms of business approach, products and services offered – outward-facing capabilities.

Forward-looking organizations are using “pivot” to evaluate and enhance their internal focus on leadership skills, employee engagement and workplace dynamics. Why?

Look at the ripple picture again. Stress occurs when ripples overlap and pull people 2 different directions. Consider how your employees feel when –

1. Demands at work conflict with new demands at home – employees fear asking managers for flexibility
2. Communications from 2 managers conflict with each other
3. Asked to do a task completely outside their normal role

Reduce all 3 Ripple Effects

Act now! Before the ripples become tidal waves disrupting your workplace. We can help reduce the stress ripples in all 3 cases above:

1. Train managers & supervisors to transition from command to coaching style leadership
2. Align communications top to bottom
3. Identify your utility players and develop more of them

Addressing all 3 ripple effects today will immediately improve your performance and make a lasting improvement in your workplace.

Employees return to work with a new lens after being away for an extended period and experiencing a variety of challenges with the covid crisis. Employees view what may have previously been appropriate and even expected behaviors and practices as inappropriate now. And they often expect changes in the workplace, beyond new safety protocols, including new behaviors, communications and flexibility.

Building a shared growth mindset from our COVID-19 experiences, requires understanding this crisis has a different pattern than past crises like 9/11 and the great recession. The key difference is everyone is participating in the Covid crisis, revealing a more humane response, where individuals unite to support each other and their communities in new ways, including recognizing often unsung everyday heroes.

As the crisis becomes the new normal and eventually subsides, the leadership challenge is to make the most of the experience – to help your team learn, change and grow – versus the initial mindset focused on returning to pre-covid conditions – habits, behaviors and expectations.

Step 1 – Let’s Develop a Leadership Team Plan

Step 2 – Let’s Develop your Supervisors & Managers into Coaches