Staying Together as a Company

There are stages in the life-cycle of an organization when the times aren't good. There may be an internal crisis or a bigger downfall with a world crisis like the one we are currently going through. Or there may be smaller hiccups in the journey with an old beloved employee leaving the job or a baby project not turning out as a success. But all of these are the reality stages of a company. To strive and come out strong every time should be the elementary mantra of every business and every company leader.

As we are going through some stranger realities since the last few months, I feel it is essential to come out and write about being together on this one.

With COVID-19 shaking the lives and business economies, it would be right to say that we are indeed witnessing a bigger depression that lies ahead of us. But we must also remember that this is not the end. The world has seen many big falls and yet, it has somehow managed to stand up and this is exactly what we are going to do. We are going to stand up and stand stronger.

As an organization's leader, I have noticed that there are a few crucial points in work-culture that can help businesses to move ahead of the weak times and be together. Some of these points would be:

a. Keeping things transparent- I think the strongest pillar of an organization is its transparency. When there's clarity in between the management and the employees, a team works better. Of course, there will be times when filtering information may be needed; however, putting everything out there to the staff can give a sense of belonging and trust in them. It is basically like confronting someone with your issues. This will help in building a stronger team where there is trust in one another.

b. Motivating the team- Another important role of a company's management is to not let any of the team members feel low about work. During this lock-down period, we are ensuring that every one of our team members is in touch with the management. The quarantine can lead to the isolation of the minds as well. But we are trying to motivate each other through work and different kinds of discussion. For example, we have a company WhatsApp group where we are constantly in touch with each other's whereabouts. And even if we aren't able to cut the birthday cakes this month, we are never skipping the birthday wishes in the group. We are also arranging online town halls to discuss the current situations and how to go about it. The thing is, motivating the team to carry on with the routine work and yet be informed about the latest world updates is a way of keeping things together. After all, at this point, we all need to feel less isolated and more motivated!

A tip here would be to renew the team's goals and try to take suggestions from the team members on how to improve the work and everyone's skill sets.

c. Managing client relations- In times like these, work can come to a halt. However, we need to keep going. For a B2B company, it is essential to remain in contact with the clients. If things are pausing for a current project, maybe you can start working on the points of improvement and suggesting other alternatives to the clients, so that when the work restarts, you are ahead of the game. Another important point here will also be about reminding your clients that you care about them. Sharing a friendly email to the clients and asking if they are doing okay can be a great step too.

d. Working along with Human Resources- From personal experience, I have always been actively associated with team activities. And I think this can be a great time to be more interactive with your Human Resources team and organize group activities. As a company leader, one also has to know what's going on with the team and the team members. I think if you can spare some time and work out a proper team working plan, the organization can benefit a lot. As a company leader, one can also assign seniors to hold one on one conversation with their team members. In crises, employees often go through anxiety about their job and work. Therefore, getting the team leaders to talk to their teammates can be a great way of keeping things in order. We must remember that happy employees are the biggest strength of any company; hence, it is the right time to reach out to everyone in the team and listen to what they have to share.

As the world economy is threatening every business, it is the time to count on your team and stay strong. These will be the testing times in the life of an organization and as leaders and  colleagues, we need to give out our support and understanding to everyone in the team. #letsstaytogetheronthisone

An organization is the strongest when it has a team that stands together through all the struggles.