By Claire Per-Lee
By now we’re all settling into a new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And to be fair, you’re probably tired of hearing about the “new normal” brought on by these “unprecedented times.” We get it. However, despite communication fatigue and all the overused buzzwords, the reality is that businesses across industries and sectors are facing new challenges. And the stakes are high.
The coronavirus situation continues to evolve moment by moment, necessitating weekly adjustments that have all but obliterated annual plans. Companies are looking to leadership to implement new tactics quickly and efficiently, and communications teams are expected to be more agile than ever before.
As we monitor industry trends and support our clients through this situation, the KWI team has identified some common questions that executives and management are asking themselves and each other:
- How do I engage and manage remote employees to maintain efficiency and productivity?
- With things changing every day, how do I navigate such a fluid situation?
- This crisis has caused a great deal of stress and anxiety for members of my team. What can I do to show them I care and understand?
- Our business is facing an internal or external crisis because of the coronavirus that we were not prepared for. What do I do? Is it too late?
- COVID-19 has necessitated a deluge of written communications, but it’s become white noise. How do I get people to pay attention?
- Is it possible to still produce high-quality video content from home? What about presentations and large meetings?
If any of these concerns resonate with you, rest assured – you’re not alone. And what’s more, we’re ready to help by offering the answers you need now. Whether your goals are for this week, this month or this quarter, we offer effective and scalable solutions and would love to come alongside your team.
Check out a few of the ways we’ve seen success addressing these challenges:
- To engage your team and keep your community strong, facilitate opportunities for employees to connect informally. Virtual lunches, themed meetings, online happy hours and meditations are some tactics we’ve seen work well. Plus, when your team is engaged, productivity increases, too.
- In light of the moment-by-moment changes, we’ve found it helpful to create daily roundups of news and updates as they relate to our clients, including industry news and business mentions. This allows us to stay abreast of industry impacts and tailor messaging accordingly.
- Stress and anxiety are very real challenges facing much of the population, and while we can’t change the situation, we can help teams cope. We created a virtual wellness program featuring daily tips, activities and customized programs for employees in a variety of different situations to cater to their unique needs.
- When communicating, consider a regular cadence (to guard against the temptation to send an onslaught of emails). This allows your team to anticipate messaging and provides stability in an otherwise uncertain time. Another tip: rather than sending another long, written email, try a video message—it’s more engaging and can improve your open rate.
- Struggling with online meetings? Half the battle is planning on the front end. We create a “meeting in a box” for managers. This provides consistent content, talking points, tips for engaging attendees, some humor (because who couldn’t use a laugh these days) and more – all in one place. Makes for easy facilitation and provides a cohesive strategy.
Whether you need a sounding board for new ideas or an extra set of hands, we’re here. And if you’re interested in some of the ways we’re helping some of Atlanta’s largest corporations through COVID-19, we would love to leverage our experience for your team’s benefit. Drop us a line and let’s talk strategy. Or, if you just want to say hi, we’re here for that, too. Social distancing has us missing office chats.
