At first, I thought, “What could I possibly add to the subject of the Coronavirus as an Executive Coach?” Newspapers, television and radio stations, and social media outlets have all done a very extensive job of keeping the public up to speed. Also, the medical community is telling us things that are helpful to keep us safe.
But perhaps I could speak about the business side of things. If you watch the President’s regular press conferences, you are getting a good idea of what’s going on behind the scenes as well as what might be available to help small business. So what can we do as leaders to move things in the right direction? Here’s what I came up with:
Many of the companies I’ve worked with over the years are in the Midwest, New Mexico and also in other countries. Presently, though, I live in Florida, so I also have several clients there. Here is the special twist about Florida: As businesses, we spend part of the year “in season” (a time when there are millions of visitors) and part of the year in “non-season”.
Non-season is when businesses make improvements and implement new systems. They check their Strategic Plan and do as many updates, etc. as possible, since they don’t have time to do it during “season.” There’s just too much business to handle.
PRETEND IT’S NON-SEASON
My recommendation, then, is to pretend this is “non-season:” at your business. Since we can’t do anything about the present, let’s optimistically look at the day when the coronavirus is gone and business returns to normal. Here are some things you can think about during the upcoming weeks
QUESTIONS TO ASK…
- What could I be doing for my clients or my community right now during this pandemic?
- Do I have a Strategic Plan? If not, it’s time to create one.
- If I do have a Strategic Plan, what are the things I can do earlier than planned to be proactive?
- Who are the people in my field from other parts of the country whom I need to talk to? (They probably have plenty of time right now, too, so get the conversation started.)
- What systems need to be upgraded or added ? It’s time to do it.
- Have I done all my performance evaluations? This would be a good time to do them while I have extra time.
- What are some topics I can discuss with employees in their one-on-one meetings to get to know them better?
Here’s hoping that we get through the pandemic (causing this business downturn/shutdown) quickly. Everything you do now could help create a bright future for your organization.
