And the Survey Says…
Recently, I sent a message to my data base asking folks to take a survey on the impact of COVID – 19 on the future of their organizations. Below are the results and a brief analysis.
Respondents represented a variety of organizations, industries, and roles. They ranged from entrepreneurs to healthcare, from utilities to manufacturing, and from finance to non-profit. From responses to the nine questions asked, several themes emerged across all categories of respondents.
The following is an analysis of the answers we received.
Question #1: How worried are you about the impact of Coronavirus on your organization?
Analysis – The survey revealed that a full 81% of respondents were somewhat worried to extremely worried. This indicated a considerable amount of angst about how their organizations will manage and remain sustainable through the pandemic, as well as fear of keeping their jobs.
This fear is real and something that will need to be addressed by leadership. This involves the leader’s own fear as well as the fear of those they serve internally. In the absence of information, people assume the worst. Negativity hijacks clear thinking and the energy to produce.
Question #2: How easy or difficult is it for you and/or your team to work effectively these days?
Analysis – Surprisingly, about 75% of respondents thought that it was either very easy or not difficult to work effectively. This caught us off guard because individual responses indicated that there were specific problem areas which we will discuss in the following questions.
Question #3: What are the three biggest challenges you are currently facing?
Analysis – Financial concerns was the most often quoted challenge. Respondents spoke of a failing economy, lack of resources, budget cuts, lack of funding, budget deficits, and unstable revenue.
Not surprising, mental and emotional well-being came in a close second. Respondents expressed feelings of isolation, trouble staying focused on work while working from home, role strain, longer hours, and burn-out.
Staffing was another big challenge, especially for those in healthcare. Their major concern was having adequate staff and the inability to hire and train due to the demands of COVID -19 and the limitations that came with it.
Client interaction was the biggest concern of entrepreneurs, salespeople, and those who typically rely on face-to-face interactions with their customers. They felt that they were unable to allay customers’ fears, manage client expectations, and adequately meet their needs.
Question #4: What is your single greatest concern right now?
Analysis – Answers to this question reflected closely the answers to the previous question, with finances and burnout coming in first and second.
Question #5: What do you see as your greatest opportunity?
The overwhelming response to this question included three major opportunities:
- The most noted was opportunity for new products and services. It is forcing innovation and agility. This includes employing and being current with the latest technology, and finding new ways to serve our customers.
I read once that “He who stands still gets run over.” If COVID has taught us anything, it is not to become complacent, stuck in old methodologies, old ways of doing things. The need to remain continuously improving is more apparent today than ever before.
- Tied for second and third place as the most mentioned was reduced travel expenses and reduced overhead with more people working from home. (Clearly, there were no respondents working for the airlines.)
Every organization seeks to reduce expenses and more and more entities are finding out that having people work from home has an enormous impact on the cost of doing business. This would seem obvious, but many companies did not employ this model until forced to by COVID and are now pleasantly surprised. While this may work for many employers and employees, it is not advantageous for all.
Just an aside: Several years ago, I attended a creativity workshop. The presenter made the comment that we are either green and growing or we become ripe and rotting. The results of the shutdowns associated with this virus have made it clear that those organizations that come back strong will be those most agile, innovative, and growth oriented.
Question #6: How confident are you in your organization’s leadership team to make right decisions going forward.
Analysis – We were heartened to find that 71% of respondents were confident in their leadership.
Question #7: What do you see as the most important leadership skills in the Post-COVID-19 era?
Analysis – Respondents rated emotional intelligence as the most important skill, followed by balance, and strategic focus.
Rather than discuss these further, be on the lookout for an upcoming series of three blog posts – either written, video, or in the form of an audio podcast – in which I will discuss each of these leadership competencies.
Question #8: What changes in your organization’s culture need to be made post COVID-19 to stay competitive?
Analysis – Both accountability and the need to embrace virtual communication as part of their business model, along with a strong online presence, were the main changes respondents mentioned as necessary to remain competitive. The latter two responses were not a surprise given the answers to previous questions.
Accountability appears to be somewhat missing in many organizations and is something people want from leadership to remain competitive. This would include accountability at every level.
Question #9: Outside of work, what kind of support will you need personally to help you through this period?
Analysis – Respondents overwhelmingly identified these three: Personal reflection, Family, and Spiritual.
It is apparent that people are still grappling with the fallout of this pandemic. They are still grappling with the psychological and emotional “trauma” and fear that has accompanied it, and they are hungry for the hope that comes with that spiritual connection important to so many of us.
They are deeply in need of human connections, most importantly those of family and friends, not only for emotional support that comes with conversation and words of reassurance and expressed love, but to ally those feelings of isolation and loneliness.
They are fully aware of the importance and need for time to listen and hear from that small voice within that directs, guides, and provides insight.
If you have taken the time to read to this point, I hope you will see in the answers the need people have to be treated as unique individuals, whole beings, with a life that includes something more than just work.
If you are a leader in your organization, I hope you see from responses to many of the questions:
- the importance of recognizing your employees as people who require care, concern, empathy, respect, and dignity.
- that people have put their faith in you to lead them out of the fear into a brighter future by making right decisions that begin with what is best for the people who make the organization what it is and what it can be.
- that real authentic aligned leadership is required.
Those leaders who lead with understanding and care for their employees, who make communicate throughout the organization a priority, and who hold themselves accountable and others responsible for doing their jobs will see the greatest engagement, productivity, and commitment required to take them through the tough times.
My thanks to those who completed the survey. I do hope that this follow up has provided some food for thought.
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(c) 2020 Mary Jane Mapes All rights reserved.
