3 things you can learn about your company from their response to the current crisis
As I've watched (from home) what's been happening I've been inspired and disappointed by different leaders' and institutions' response to this crisis. I believe that it's in times of challenge and struggle that we really see what we are made of. The same thing is true for the companies we work for. Here are three things you can learn as you reflect on your company's response:
1) Their priorities / values. I’m a big believer in working for a company shares your values. I encourage my clients to make sure the company that they work for aligns to their personal values. It’s one of the key elements of the interview process where the company is determining if you’re a good fit for them and you should be determining if their culture is a good fit for you. Often, the values a company proudly proclaims on their website are not the ones they actually live. Values show up in decisions. Values can be clearly seen in difficult times. So what have the last 30-45 days shown you about your company? Did they prioritize their employees? Their customers? Their bottom line? How does that align to what you care about? Are you proud of their response?
I’ve seen companies furlough employees and continue to pay benefits, lay off employees, and some commit to keep all employees even if it hurts their bottom line. Each company’s response depends on a number of factors. To be fair in your comparison, make sure you compare your company’s response to its peers in your industry.
In my last career shift, I moved to a company that shared my commitment to volunteering and social good. During crises, I was proud of how they handled the situation putting employees and customers first.
Download alert - Reflection Worksheet with questions for you to consider your company's response to the crisis
2) Their business continuity plan readiness – how long did it take them to respond.
I’m sure like me your inbox was filled with emails from every company you’ve ever done business with letting you know how they were responding to the coronavirus. While it may have been annoying, it shows you how ready the organization was to respond to the crisis – not just this crisis but any crisis.
Every company has some sort of business continuity plan. It’s important to compare how your company reacted to other organizations in the industry. Was your company fast to react? Was it slower? How long did it take your organization to communicate to employees what it wanted to do? This actually transitions into the third part of what you can learn.
3) What their urgent priorities are
More than likely the last couple weeks have shown your company some instabilities or opportunities in their platform. What are lessons learned or best practices? Perhaps the company is having to shift resources from one place to another. Could this be an opportunity for you to volunteer to help address any opportunities you identify? This will probably be their priority in the short term to address so figuring out how you might be able to help solve those challenges may bring you visibility. Leaders will remember who stepped up during these challenging times.
Download the Reflection Worksheet to document your thoughts about your company's response.
