Ready, Set, Reposition
Conversations are starting to take place about how we begin to slowly and gradually re-open America, the State of Maryland, and the communities that we live in and call our own. As expected, the court of public opinion on this decision is all over the board, with some feeling like it’s simply too early to begin this process, and others standing firm that the right thing to do is establish normalcy, now. Regardless of where you stand within the spectrum of opinions, and regardless of the exact timing by which the re-opening process will occur, as a business owner or manager, you’ve got some critical thinking to do. People have been changed by COVID-19. Their perceptions, priorities, decision-making processes, and needs will not be the same once they can venture out of their homes and start putting the pieces of their lives back together, one step at a time. They will be desperate to get back to their normal, standard, every-day routines, but they will also face new limitations and challenges. The best thing you can do to help your business thrive as this transition occurs is to think about how to reposition. This doesn’t necessarily mean changing your core products and services. It might mean considering new ways to position, promote, and deliver them. How will your business fill a need or void that your loyal and potential clients and customers have, and will have, as we move forward? What can you say or do differently, that will resonate in a meaningful way? And remember, what was meaningful in November 2019 might be different from what is meaningful now or will be in July 2020. Here is a suggested exercise that might be helpful. Take out a few sheets of paper and jot down some thoughts and notes about each of your clients, one at a time. Some things to consider … If your client is an individual consumer: How have they been impacted by COVID-19? How has their family been affected? How did they spend their time during quarantine? What is special to them, that has perhaps but put on “pause” as a result of the pandemic? What will their most immediate needs be, as the re-opening process begins? What will their needs be a few months down the road, after re-opening occurs? How can YOU support them or help them? If your client is a business owner or manager: How might their business have been impacted as a result of COVID-19? How was their staff / team affected? How might their customers have been impacted? Could/should/will their core product and service offerings change? What are some things this company should consider doing to reposition? Do they or will they face any supply chain issues that can impact their operations? How can YOU support them or help them? These notes will likely be helpful in guiding your conversation with your clients, as we all work together to reposition. It certainly will not be an easy process, but I believe it will be a worthwhile one.
Crisis Calls for Taking Care of You, Too
Well-respected and well-liked leaders tend to be those who put the needs of others ahead of their own. They are the leaders who shine exceptionally brightly during times of crisis. They take extra steps, every day, to make sure their people have what they need. They answer questions openly and honestly, provide direction, and offer healthy doses of encouragement and hope, too. They rally people together. They lay in bed awake, late at night, thinking of how they can better support their people. Then they wake up in the morning and act. But, it’s important for those same leaders to also take a serious pause, and think about their own health, wellness, and needs, too. They also need to be able to carve out time in the day to sit down for meals, exercise, and get a good night’s sleep. Self-care is always important, but its even more essential during times of crisis, when the scope of work changes and stress levels are peaked. Yes, I am talking about you. COVID-19 has changed everything about the world we live in. We are all adapting and adjusting every day. The future is less certain than it’s ever been before. The unknown is scary, especially for leaders and business owners. Taking care of yourself will go a long way in helping you maintain focus, strike a balance between realism and optimism, and stay in the game, mentally. Remember, those people who need your support right now are going to need it even more as the world eventually transitions back to some form of normalcy. Stay well. It’s one of the most important commitments you can make right now, as a good leader. Remember, our collective strength is our ability to stay in the game!
Getting Command of the Facts During Criss
By Rob Weinhold, Fallston Group Chief Executive You may have heard me say in the course of our discussions on past occasions: during times of crisis, we must first get command of the facts. In my opinion, that statement rings especially true right now. It’s safe to say we are all in “information overload mode,” as the COVID-19 story continues to evolve and be told in a hundred (or more) different ways. Differentiating between what is true, what is partially true, what is false, and what is an opinion presented as a fact, can become seriously challenging. Credit is due to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and his team for their attempt to set the facts straight once and for all, and educate the public to the best of their ability. In case you haven’t already seen it, the State has launched a new page on its web site focused on “Rumor Control.” Here is the link. It gives Marylanders a source for the truth, outlining government orders, organized by category, to provide clarity and minimize confusion. There is also a button on the right-hand side of the page that asks viewers to “submit a rumor.” If you are questioning if something you are hearing is true, the government wants to hear about it and is committing to addressing it. That’s what I call good leadership. I also believe it’s a model we can all learn from. Let me be clear, this is not a politically-based comment, rather a sound leadership observation. This pandemic should never be about politics, rather public health. Saving lives matter and we all play a part. What kinds of similar open communication forums could you implement within your own businesses to keep your people accurately informed? I encourage you to think of tools that will help today, not just in the midst of this global health pandemic, but those that will also be applicable once this is all over. Need help brainstorming ideas or coming up with a strategy for open internal communications? Reach out to your friends at the Fallston Group. That is what we are here for.
Getting Into the Growth Zone During COVID-19
We came across this graphic (original source unknown) and think it delivers an important message for people who are living through COVID-19. Yes, this absolutely is a time of great uncertainty. But we all have choices when it comes to perspective and the action we take day-in and day-out, as we muddle through these truly unprecedented times. We can fear, or we can learn and grow. And yes, it’s a choice. Strong leaders know the value of the lightest blue zone, all the way to the right – the growth zone. They know from experience that when they adopt these mindsets and approaches, others tend to follow. When leaders look for opportunities to help others and are empathetic, nine times out of ten, they inspire their teams to do the same. When leaders focus on the future, the people who work alongside them naturally tend to follow suit. When leaders are thankful, appreciative, and happy, they set the tone for positive organizational culture. And when leaders approach the idea of change with optimism, patience, and creativity? You got it. Most of the time, so do the people who surround them. We hope that as leaders, we can all come together and strive to land in the lightest blue zone – the growth zone – despite the fact that what we are all living through is without a doubt, incredibly hard. We encourage you to view and share this graphic as a reminder of how some shifts in perspective and the actions we take today will end up playing out in our future. Our choices can impact our businesses, our communities, and our world. We are all in this together. Remember to focus on what you can control versus what you can’t. Let’s choose to park ourselves in the growth zone.
The Time to Build Your Strategic Recovery Plan is NOW
Recently, The Washington Post reported more than 10 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in March 2020. A lot of people are referencing what is happening in the world right now as an “unprecedented time.” That term, while a bit overused, is absolutely spot on. Truly, nothing quite like this has ever happened before, and the record-squashing number of people filing for unemployment is one example that proves it. None of this is easy – on anyone. But it’s a particularly hard time for business owners: people who have invested their hearts and souls into building and growing companies that up until about a month ago, were quite successful. Many have closed shop temporarily, unable to sustain this time of turmoil or forced to take a hiatus in accordance with orders that all non-essential businesses close. Others have cut back hours, reduced their workforce, or halted production and delivery of standard goods and services. How will business owners recover from this? The time to think about building your business’ strategic recovery plan is NOW. Here are some thoughts on how you can do that: Communicate with your clients and customers throughout this crisis. Even if your doors are shut, your communication lines can remain open. Keep creating touchpoints with the people you work with, who support your business, and who have historically tapped into your product and service offerings. Use your social media pages. Push out a few emails. Make some phone calls, or offer to connect via video chat. Bottom line – invest in your relationships. Find the business plan you wrote when you were first starting out. Some of the same principles and ideas that guided you on day one can guide you again. Reread your original business plan and identify what still applies, what you can repeat, and what additional opportunities make sense to pursue as you get back up and running. Remember who you are at your core – your “why?” Create a timeline that is reasonable and feasible. The reality is no one knows for sure how long this crisis will put a freeze on our ordinary lives. So, while it may not be possible to designate a “start date” for your strategic recovery plan, you can still lay out a timeline for action that makes sense and is reasonable and feasible. What can you do right now? What will you do on the day you actually re-open your doors? What will week number one look like? What tasks will be the priority for the first month? Where do you hope to be by month number three? Six? Twelve? Plan now rather than waiting. Use this time to invest, not rest. Think about what your customers and clients will need, as they are ramping back up too. We are all in this together. As you are ramping back up, chances are, your customers and clients will be doing the same. Put some thought into how their businesses will be changed by COVID-19, and what THEIR recovery plans may look like, too. How can you be part of it? How can you help them? What new business opportunities may rise to the surface? In fact, call them now to let them know you are thinking about THEIR business and you want to be part of the solution. Consider who may need you now, who didn’t need or know about you before. Think out of the box about ways you can acquire new customers, clients and identify pathways to making new connections. As they say in the great game of hockey – skate to where the puck is going, not where it is now. Find a way to give back. Understandably, it is hard to think about giving at a time when you may be struggling. But remember, giving isn’t always about cutting a check and making a financial contribution. You can give your time. You can give your ideas. You can offer support. You can help someone else make meaningful connections. Help others out and demonstrate some goodwill, in whatever ways you can. When you do, it speaks volumes about your character. We would like to hear from you about how your strategic recovery plan will take shape. What actions will you take to guide your company’s future? We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with us by sending an email to info@fallstongroup.com. Please include your name, title, and company name. We plan to post another blog soon, elaborating on this topic. With your permission, we would love to weave in your insights and ideas and share them with the rest of our followers. You can document it as your first act of goodwill and giving back, per #6 above!
Coming Together During Times of Adversity
More than 150,000 people across the U.S. have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. That’s more cases than any other country. The national death toll is 2,870, and rising by the hour. The numbers are just as frightening at the local level, with 1,413 diagnoses and 20 deaths reported in the state of Maryland. The impact on society, the economy, and human life as we know it is crippling, too. The number of people out of a job and consequently applying for unemployment is topping out at more than three million. Some school systems have already announced they will remain closed for the remainder of the academic years; others have extended their closure periods, causing parents of high school seniors to wonder if they will even get to see their kids walk across a stage and graduate. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are postponed. The NBA, NHL, and MLB are shut down. Walt Disney World is closed until further notice. And the stock market? If you are invested in it, you are probably spending time every day analyzing trends and trying to decide what to do and how much risk to take. Yes, it’s a time of great turmoil, a time of great fear, and unfortunately, a time of great loss. However, it can also be a time of great unity. Locally, many people are heeding to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s orders to remain at home as much as possible and practice social distancing when we must venture out. But something very interesting is happening during this time of “slowed pace.” Families are going for long walks and sitting down together for daily meals. The “daily grind” has but put on “pause” and suddenly, there are enough hours in the day. More and more people are also demonstrating acts of kindness to care for their community. There seems to be a gentle and genuine understanding that we are all in this together, and that humanity is one thing that can help us through. Now let’s apply that same principle to the business world. The Fallston Group was founded ten years ago with a primary goal to help companies plan for and manage times of adversity. Like many, we are working hard every day to manage this crisis, but we are also here to be a resource for you. We believe now is the time for business owners to come together, support one another, offer ideas and solutions, and perhaps most importantly, encouragement. Stay tuned for our next blog, which will be posted later this week and will offer some strategies and recommendations for business owners on the process of recovering from crisis.
Using Digital Tools to Deepen Relationships During COVID-19
It’s safe to say COVID-19 has swept through our world and changed life as we know it. I think we are unified in hoping and praying this crisis will be resolved as quickly as it began. But the brutal reality is that none of us really know for sure how long this will last, and what the end result will truly be, particularly regarding the impact on our businesses. Here’s the thing … many businesses are closed. Some are still operating, but under circumstances that are far from normal. Business owners near and far are doing anything and everything they can to keep the companies they have worked so hard to build afloat, despite all of the uncertainty that is filling our worlds and that undoubtedly lies ahead. While we may not be launching as many new projects or generating as many new sales as would be the case in “ordinary times,” we CAN keep the names of our businesses, and the value each offers front and center – think of it this way – wake up each morning and think of what you can give versus what you can get. To that end, use your digital tools now, and in ways you’ve never considered or implemented, before. Today, the Fallston Group is sharing five tips on how you can use your digital tools to your advantage, in the midst of crisis – be it COVID-19 or other situations that impact your normal business operations. Take a good hard look at your website. Now would be a perfect time to make those updates, changes, and enhancements you have been thinking about for a while, but just haven’t been able to carve out the time for. Giving your page a refresh is always positive for your business and could be especially beneficial right now. Add meaningful content to your website. If you don’t have business news or changes to report often, that is okay. Now is an optimal time to reach out to your loyal customers and clients for a conversation about why they partner with you or support your business. Build out a few client profiles or testimonial stories that you can add to your site. It will not only create fresh, new content for your web site, but it will also inspire others out there to tap into your products and services, now or later. Remember, it’s about relationships, not returns. Consider adding a blog. Open a door to share your thoughts and perspective on business matters or even the impact COVID-19 is having on your business – authenticity is key. You can post several times per week, once per month, or whatever frequency feels right; the point is that your blog will give you a platform to share your voice while creating a series of touchpoints with your customers and clients. It’s therapeutic also! Be social the only way you really can – electronically. We have all come to know the term “social distancing” and I think it’s safe to say most of us can’t wait to put this way of life behind us. Think of it this way – physical distancing, not social distancing…do not isolate. You can still be social, electronically! Don’t have social media pages? Consider creating and launching them, and beginning the process of sharing them to build a base of fans and followers. If you already have active social media pages, start putting some thought into how you can post useful or inspirational content, or messages that will position your business well now or as we all begin putting COVID-19 behind us in the future. Your social media pages also create opportunities for touchpoints with your customers and clients, so use them, and use them well. Invest in long-term, authentic relationships with meaningful content. Think strategically about social content. To follow the tip above, don’t forget that you do need to think strategically about WHAT to post on your social media pages. Now is a good time to consider linking to relevant, informative articles. Photos with strong captions make sense and tend to catch people’s eye quickly as they scroll through their newsfeeds. You can talk ever so lightly about your programs and services, but be sure to tie those messages back to how or why they are helping or impacting your customers and clients. If you do develop client profiles or testimonial stories (per tip #2), share them on your social platforms in addition to on your website. You can also use social media to demonstrate support for other businesses you care about. Share posts from others that you feel your friends and fans may be interested in seeing. Remember to focus on what you can give within the spirit of abundance. As a firm that specializes in crisis leadership during times of adversity and crisis, the Fallston Group is here to support you as the world continues to manage this global health pandemic. It is a trying and challenging time for all. Let’s support one another and stick together, even if it’s only electronically until we get through this. Stay safe, friends.
Do You Have the Moxie to Be a Crisis Leader?
During this extraordinary time, many business leaders are simultaneously enduring two major crises – the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the very strong possibility of losing their businesses – a perfect storm. Many simply need an empathetic ear and a little reassurance as they try to maintain control and weather the storm. Many of these emotional conversations are connected to a timeless chapter of The Art of Crisis Leadership, a book published by Rob Weinhold, our chief executive. Chapter seven of the book highlights how one amazing leader managed his life when an unexpected crisis, which could not have been predicted or anticipated – and one that he was not responsible for, brought about life-changing approaches and opportunity. We’re sharing it because we believe it can help, just a little, during this uncertain time. If you are searching for solid content to post on your web site or social media pages, we encourage you to post this as a way to bring some encouragement and inspiration to others who may be struggling in the midst of this global pandemic. The Art of Crisis Leadership, Chapter Seven: Early one morning in 2002, when I was working at the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention in Towson, Maryland, I stopped by to see the boss. After knocking lightly on his office door, I let myself in. But this time, Stephen P. Amos wasn’t sitting at his desk as usual. Instead, I found him sprawled on the floor with his eyes closed, suffering from an excruciating migraine attack. Given what Stephen was going through at the time, the fact he was enduring skull-splitting headaches was hardly shocking. That year, soon after taking over at GOCCP, a little-known state agency that provided access to federal and state grant funds to improve public safety, Stephen’s world had turned upside down. Out of nowhere, he found himself at the center of a high-profile public corruption probe, wrongly accused of improperly using grant money for administrative purposes. As a former law enforcement officer and U.S. Justice Department official, Amos had never been under investigation, for any reason. And, based on who I knew Amos to be at his core, he would find it repugnant to subscribe to any wrongdoing (no matter the toll) if he felt he or his team were operating ethically and legally. Since the GOCCP was overseen by Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a Democrat in the midst of a heated race for governor against Republican Robert L. Ehrlich, many suspected a political motive behind the charges. Townsend, in fact, called the probe, led by Republican U.S. Attorney Thomas DiBiagio, “political garbage.” Nevertheless, it would drag on for another three years until federal prosecutors suddenly dropped their indictment of Amos in 2005, citing an obscure legal opinion they claimed would have made it difficult to win a conviction. Thus, ended one of the most painful ordeals I have ever seen a colleague go through—a man I knew to be of the highest moral character, a man who had been unfairly targeted and was innocent of even the slightest wrongdoing. But in the months that the investigation dogged him, I also watched Amos continue to perform superbly at his job, put the well-being of his worried and dispirited staff above his own and deliver one of the most inspiring examples of crisis leadership I’ve ever seen. “A lot of tears, a lot of pain,” Stephen said of that difficult time when we met not long ago for drinks and dinner. Before the crisis hit, he continued, “a lot of my decision-making had been about what was in my best interest (and for) my career path. But I soon came to realize it was no longer about me. “I realized I had a much bigger responsibility. I had to start thinking about the larger team, how to bring them together, how to communicate that there was a future, that the sky’s not going to fall and you’re not going to crumble.” The first hint of trouble came in early 2002, as Maryland’s gubernatorial campaign entered its final crucial stages. Amos began to hear rumors of a possible federal investigation into the GOCCP. One day around that time, I received an odd phone call from Stephen. “Rob, we’re friends, right?” he asked with a slight chuckle. “Of course we are,” I said. “Well,” he went on, “do you have any idea why the FBI is in my office?” At first, he professed not to be overly concerned. The investigation, he was told by his superiors, was a fishing expedition, undoubtedly motivated by politics. He assumed the feds would ask a few questions about a grantee, someone who had gotten funding from the GOCCP, and then the whole thing would go away. “I remember talking to the staff and telling them: ‘There’s been Democrats in office since (former Republican Gov. Spiro T.) Agnew,’” he recalled. “There’s gonna be no change in parties, everybody’s got career jobs here. “See, I didn’t face the reality of it at first,” Amos continued. “I was oblivious to these kinds of political shenanigans. That’s a big lesson: face reality.” As the probe dragged on and members of the administration began distancing themselves from him, Stephen realized he had misread the seriousness of the situation. Worried and feeling alienated, he reached out to a small number of confidantes—I was honored to be one of them—to help keep his spirits up, strategize and crisis lead during an incredibly difficult time. He also eschewed the standard advice about not saying anything to the media. Instead, once “an anonymous source” leaked to the press that a probe was underway, we invited The Baltimore Sun and the other regional media outlets to go through the office files and see for themselves if there was any evidence of corruption. The tactic worked brilliantly. Soon, editorials began appearing in The Sun, questioning DiBiagio’s motives, one stating: “…it’s tough to know right now if he is pursuing credible allegations of
Effective Communication in the Midst of Crisis
At this point, it’s safe to assume that every business across America has been impacted by COVID-19. As your team is navigating this crisis and implementing strategies to best manage it, the value and importance of internal communications strategy is KEY. Keeping those communication lines open is so very important – more so now than probably ever before. At the same time, bear in mind that everyone is working through unusual, unfamiliar circumstances. Those who typically see 100 emails per day in their inboxes might be seeing double that or more. That said, equally important at this juncture is prioritization of internal information exchanges. Streamlining communication processes will help your team to operate as efficiently as possible during this critical time. At Fallston Group, we recommend implementing the following general internal communication protocols and guidelines within your business: Communicate with purpose. Send updates only when they contain new or time-sensitive information, or answers that the team is relying on and needs NOW. Be selective in who receives your messages. Think strategically about the message you are sending and who really needs to see it. Include only those individuals on your distribution list. Halt the automatic “reply to all.” Everyone who received a message might need that message. Chances are, not every person on the list needs to receive every reply, in turn. Consider this as you craft your reply and right before you hit the “send” button. Keep it brief. Whenever possible, send emails that are concise and easily digestible – a “quick read” approach, per say. At a time when everyone is overloaded with critical priorities, it’s more likely that a quick paragraph will be read than a message that is a full page long. Cover more than one topic in a single email, whenever possible. Brevity is key and it is more efficient to send one email that conveys priority information on 2-3 topics rather than a separate email per topic. Save the message for the next meeting, if possible. Before you craft a message and hit the “send” button, pause and ask yourself if the information MUST be transmitted via email, at that moment, or if it can instead be communicated at the next team meeting. If it can wait, hold it. Assume everyone is grateful. By nature, if someone sends us an email, we are inclined to hit the reply button to thank them for the information they have provided. At this point, we can assume everyone is working hard is grateful for the collective effort. We can cut down on email overload significantly by eliminating replies of “thanks” or “got it.” We encourage you to adopt and share these protocols and guidelines throughout your organization, so that we can all work as efficiently as possible in the coming days, weeks, and months. Stay safe. Stay well.
Protecting Your Business from the Threat of Coronavirus
What’s becoming clear very quickly is that fears and anxieties associated with a potential coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the U.S. are increasing. As our newsfeeds continue to fill with updates from trusted media sources and health experts, the communications team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is doing a stellar job keeping us all informed about the status of this threatening health epidemic around the globe. The virus has quickly spread from its place of origin in Wuhan City, China, to more than 50 other destinations, including the U.S. And yes, it’s scary. The CDC recently released an informational fact sheet that can be a good resource for all of us to reference and share, as questions and concerns continue to rise. Fallston Group has attached that document for your convenience. Over the past couple of days, Fallston Group has fielded a handful of phone calls and inquiries from our clients and partners, all looking for advice and guidance on how to be proactive in minimizing risks within their businesses. So, today’s blog post is designed to share our non-clinical thoughts and recommendations with the masses. Our hope is that the information we are disseminating will help you take the necessary precautions to keep your workplace safe. According to health experts, the symptoms associated with the coronavirus are mild to severe respiratory conditions, often leading to a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and a fever. Let’s remember, however, that it’s early March. Everywhere you turn right now, you see someone battling these symptoms, otherwise considered status quo as part of what many of us assume is the common cold or even the flu. How do we really know? We don’t. That said, now, more than ever is the time to be cautious. A few specific recommendations we’re passing along, derived from health experts: Don’t assume those nagging symptoms aren’t anything to be worried about, or that they will eventually fade away on their own (let’s face it – we’ve all been there). If members of your team are experiencing these symptoms, encourage them to check in with their doctors, without delay. It may even be worth mentioning that they can schedule the appointment during work hours if needed, without clocking out. Make it very clear to your team that you do not want them to come to work when they are feeling under weather or experiencing symptoms similar to those associated with coronavirus. Every manager is different, but one client of ours has temporarily adjusted their sick leave policy, allowing their people to make-up hours or days during non-traditional work hours. They are even implementing remote work protocols. Some may say this is excessive. I personally believe it’s smart. Your people need to know that keeping your workplace safe and healthy is a top priority right now. But don’t just say it. Show it. Remind everyone you work with, or who passes through your workspace, that handwashing is KEY to preventing the spread of germs. Yes, everyone already knows that. Tell them again. And then maybe one more time. The CDC is also encouraging people to try to avoid touching their eyes, noses, and mouths as much as possible. Give your team members the right tools to help keep your workplace clean and healthy. Pick up some additional boxes of tissues, some extra bottles of hand sanitizer, and a few tubs of disinfectant wipes. Position them plentifully around the office, and encourage people to use them frequently. Make it easy for folks to do their part in reducing the spread of germs, and they probably will. Now … what to do if you suspect the coronavirus has entered your workplace? That’s a tricky question because it depends on the nature and size of your business, as well as what specifically is happening that has caused alarm. If possible, close the office for the day, and ask that each member of your team – even those demonstrating no signs or symptoms of illness – see a primary care or urgent care physician, immediately. This recommendation is based on the fact that the CDC believes most people impacted by this virus will present with symptoms two to 14 days after exposure. Hopefully, all members of your team will return the next day with a confirmation of a clean bill of health. Again, some may feel this is excessive. My opinion is that it is better to be safe than sorry. Some businesses are even calling in additional cleaning and disinfectant crews to add an extra layer of protection during off-hours. I encourage you to visit the CDC web site frequently for information and updates. You can access it here. All of us must be informed, share what we know and take action. Stay safe. Stay well. And let’s all do our best to stay healthy.
