A guest consultant from the Association for Consulting Expertise advises a reader on the basics of reopening a business in the wake of the recent public health shutdowns.
Q: There are so many things to think about regarding starting up our business after the COVID-19 downtime. What are some basic Do’s and Don’ts?
ACE advises: While every business is different and has its own unique set of circumstances, here are some core considerations:
Don't ...
- Expect that you can just call people back and press the start button
- Expect that teams, even high-performing teams, will function as though nothing has happened or changed
- Assume that there will be more market demand and customers than ever before just because there have been shortages of products and services
- Take action just for the sake of taking action.
Do ...
- Communicate with absolute honesty and in multiple, frequent ways: Face-to-face, groups, one on one, written, e-modes
- Engage your management team and workforce. Now is the time for seeking input, working collaboratively, being creative, enhancing your culture
- Take time to rethink the organization — who we are, how we work
- Have a “startup” mindset.
- Encourage agility, accountability, frequent check-ins, daily huddles to reassess priorities and progress
- Consider deliberate, engaged team re-development. Focused discussion of goals, roles, practices supportive relationships
- Ask, “How can we be most effective? What’s different?”
- Be more engaged with customers and supply chains than ever before.