Priorities to focus on in the coronavirus period
Lockdown has changed our attitude. From one day to another, we had to get into new routine, to address unexpected situations and take decisions for which we were not fully prepared.
No one escaped.
We are not equal in front of the corona virus, whether it is from a medical, physiological, psychological, or economical point of view
Our ways to react towards uncertainty are diverse.
After weeks closing on our selves with social interactions reduced to the max and everything slowing down including the clock itself, the termination of the outbreak creates not only hopes but fears and doubts.
Managing the end of lockdown measures and prepare the way back to normal is a challenge for management. Most companies will be aiming to return back to normal operations as fast as possible.
Engaging everyone involved into an effective way out of the lockdown is a major challenge. It requires preparing people's mind into a polarity change.
The pandemic is a portal. Some can walk through it with negatives ideas. Some others will go through with their open mind and a resilience-ready attitude determined to imagine the future.
Whoever they are, all of them will need a clear vision and plan.
One specific element of such plan relies on health and safety.
There is a before and an after Coronavirus. In this respect, expectations towards health and safety will not go back to the previous standard.
And that is a major priority for companies developing their un-lockdown plan.
Just like the underwater diver surfacing with decompression stops, lockdown termination is going to be progressive. Regardless of the number of steps, we will not behave in offices, co working places or in plants like we did, we will not experience relations in retail shops, travel or attend to a public events as we used to.
Whether it relates to safety of employees, suppliers or customers, companies will have a full range of rules and means to consider from mask, hydroalcoholic gel, taking body temperature several times a day, tests, new cleaning protocols, surface disinfection or process changes, pandemic termination plan needs address health and safety as a main priority.
The thing is that we live in a society where emotion takes the lead over logic. That is why management needs to anticipate peoples' feelings and get everyone adopting the right mindset.
PSA and Michelin showed us the way to take the best advantage of communication in the preparation phase of the plan.
Not only they leverage communication to reach their objectives but they are also using it to improve the reputation of the brand.
They succeed because their messaging is a breast height, anchored into reality. By doing so, these two leaders demonstrate that their communication lays into Story Proving instead of Story Telling.
Design an unlockdown plan
Develop a communication strategy to engage internal and external audiences into a step by step unlockdown execution.
PS: After the Corona Bomb, shall we expect Business as Usual or Business as Un-usual ?
What should go back to standard and what should change?
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Stephane
+33 6 11 81 03 12
stephane.munier@tbmsmarketing.com