What is your leadership response to the COVID-19 crisis? Presumably your business is developing or has already developed a response plan, and has made risk assessments that influence tactical as well as health and safety decisions. Let’s give the benefit of doubt that these plans put the health and safety of the public and your employees above other factors (If they don’t, you have bigger problems). Such a response is the minimum needed in these times, but it is not sufficient to demonstrate true leadership.
The water cooler network can be your enemy here. Whisper down the alley effects combined with emotional interpretations can make even the best of intentions appear tainted with malice (they don’t want to pay me!), favoritism (why does she get to work from home?) or a range of other unintended messages. Understand that anything said ‘behind closed doors’ will get out one way or another, so you can choose to let the network define the message or you can take control of it by communicating directly, frequently, consistently and authentically.
Perhaps the most important thing to recognize in the face of this (or any other) crisis, is that the situation is primarily emotional for people, not tactical. Emotions in the face of COVID-19 run the gamut from crippling fear to misplaced bravado, and everything in between. ALL of these emotional responses are valid to the person in one way or another. A strong leader will not dismiss any emotional response. It is your responsibility to acknowledge their existence and do the work to understand the roots of them. You will also have to accept the fact that ANY tactical response of the business will also cause emotional reactions that may reinforce feelings that are already present. Put measures into place to give people a way to deal with these emotions while continuing to deliver the message that the business is acting objectively and working to make the best decisions with the available information in a fluid environment.
Genuine concern about the health and safety of your employees goes beyond protecting them from the physical effects of COVID-19. If you do not address the emotions of the crisis you are ignoring the lever that has the largest impact.
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