It’s safe to say that when the global pandemic began in early 2020, no one could have predicted the gravity of the events that were about to unfold. Not only did coronavirus confine more than half of the world’s population into their homes, but it also forced businesses, schools, and countries alike to shut down indefinitely, some even for good.
The unprecedented impacts of COVID-19 on global health and the economy were nothing the world has ever experienced before. But despite all the challenges people faced, they still managed to come out of it whole, save for a few battle scars here and there. This only proves how resilient people are when they need to be.
This is the kind of strength and resilience that organizations have to adopt if they want to outlast the pandemics they will face in the future. Although it’s not an easy feat to achieve, it can be very beneficial to the organizations and everyone within them.
So, here’s how you can make your business stronger in the face of adversities:
Hone a Healthy Workplace Culture
If this global health crisis proves one thing, organizations are nothing without the people within them to prevent the roof from caving in. You have to understand that your employees will always be your biggest assets, which is why it’s even more important that you focus on providing a healthy workplace environment for them.
Take, for instance in Singapore, SMRT CEO, Neo Kian Hong has made critical steps to transform the company’s workplace culture. Since he assumed office, many saw improvements in terms of commuter satisfaction and employee productivity.
However, when Hong took the role, he discovered that the issue was more of a leadership problem than what the employees lacked. That’s why he made sure to engage the people better and hear their concerns by joining them on the ground instead of leading from somewhere far.
You can do the same for your organization if you’re experiencing difficulties with management. Especially now that there’s a bigger gap than ever before regarding workplace relationships, it’s more important to prioritize honing a healthy work environment where everyone feels safe to maximize their potential.
Focus on Employee Development
Aside from exerting effort into creating an environment that’s conducive to working and showing that you care about your employees’ welfare, you also have to provide them with growth opportunities. This is because your employees have to constantly develop their skills and learn new ones if they want to have a long career in their chosen industry.
Of course, employee development programs are different for every organization, but one thing remains the same — these programs should aim to help your employees grow both professionally and personally. So, consider asking them how they want to learn and what they want to be better at. This way, you can provide everyone with equal opportunities for growth and development.
You might think that this is a waste of resources, but you’ll be surprised at how beneficial an employee development program will be for your business. For one, it can lower your turnover rate because your employees won’t have a reason to leave if they’re receiving plenty of growth opportunities in the workplace.
Plus, it can also improve your organization’s bottom line because you’ll be able to create more productive and efficient workers who are knowledgeable in their roles. And their acquired skills will help them stay one step ahead of the competition because when the others are just learning about the new trend, your employees are already crafting their plans to implement.
Create a Disaster Recovery Plan
Many businesses were forced to shut down this last year because they weren’t prepared for the physical, emotional, and financial toll that they would experience during the pandemic. Although it might have been impossible to foresee such a catastrophic event from taking place, those with a comprehensive disaster recovery plan may have had it easier than others.
Of course, those plans were usually made for floods, earthquakes, or cyber-attacks, and not global health crises. However, since you’ve already lived through one pandemic in this lifetime, you’ll be much better prepared if it ever happens again. But hopefully, it doesn’t.
This disaster recovery plan will state what you should do in an emergency, how you plan to continue operating your business, and other important matters regarding your business. And since there’s a big chance that you’ve digitized most of your business processes during the pandemic, it could be a wise move to just continue doing it in the future.
Creating a resilient organization is essential, but you have to know that this value needs to be supported by actions. You can’t just hope that your employees can brave the storms on their own all the time; you have to be there with them every step of the way, providing a helping hand whenever they need it.
