Our COVID-19 blog series offers a series of interviews with crisis management, business continuity and crisis communications experts who share information about their current pandemic efforts, state of mind and corporate path forward.
We invited Chris Malpass, Executive Director at Social Simulator to share with us how his company is adapting to the coronavirus crisis. This blog highlights the recent discussion as it took place in an interview on a podcast series entitled PandemicBuzz launched by Witt O’Brien’s Devin Sirmenis, Managing Director Corporate Resilience.
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Scenario Planning
Since there are so many uncertainties surrounding this coronavirus outbreak, scenario planning can be a very useful tool that companies can use to forecast the potential outcomes of current situations. Companies can look through and analyze the likely impact of COVID-19 on their companies as well as their client sectors. This analysis will help companies identify potential opportunities in the future and allow them to help their clients when everything is under control.
Strong Leadership
During times like these, leaders need to remain composed and objective even though this is uncharted territory for everyone. Having strong leadership can at least solve some uncertainties within the firm and leaders have a role to play in helping set the tone for the entire company.
Employee Welfare
Putting people first should always be the focus of our resilience efforts. Companies need to look after the physical and mental health of their employees. They should consider updating their sickness policy and encourage their employees to work more flexibly. Short catchups (both work or non-work related) through video conferencing can also make employees feel more engaged and connected.
Building Remote Offerings for Clients
Since social distancing is enforced in many states right now, it’s impossible for companies to provide any in person services for their clients. However, building a strong remote offering is not a bad idea. Companies can customize their services so their clients can access remotely. This is a great time to build faithful relationships with old and new customers. Instead of being driven by fees, we should help each other out in human to human ways and be there for people who need our help.
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We look forward to the opportunity to guide our clients. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your company’s approach to managing this crisis, need support to do so, and/or if you would like to brainstorm next steps.
Please listen to all of our PandemicBuzz episodes on one of your favorite platforms: