Minnesota Speaks

Minnesota Speaks – Leadership in The New Work Environment

Posted December 10, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is administering an exhausting, once-in-a-century
stress test to every system of American life and culture. Organizations are
working to maintain effective, efficient operations as employees, customers, and communities at large face constant fluctuation and ambiguity.

With no immediate end to the pandemic in sight, CPI Twin Cities explored how the circumstances impact companies and leaders. Below is an excerpt of their research. To download the complete document, click here.

What Are You Doing to Create Vision and
Focus?

Leader responses to this question created a wide spectrum. At one end, the
organization achieves very little in the way of vision and focus because the
business is in survival mode. At the opposite end, companies conduct global
town hall meetings (involving 25,000 employees) to reaffirm values, crystallize vision, and re-establish core business strategies.
Companies committing to vision and focus prioritize four areas:

Focus #1: Employees
Respondents agree on the need to ensure employee safety, listen to concerns, show compassion, and demonstrate flexibility. One leader stated that his HR team created a customized work plan for each employee to alleviate pandemicrelated stress at the individual level. Multiple organizations delivered care packages to employees’ homes.

Focus #2: Customers
The importance of prioritizing customer needs during the pandemic comes
through in remarks like efficient and streamlined focus on the customer and unblinking focus on providing the best possible customer experience. Laser accurate customer focus helps employees understand they are responsible for business viability because success in the future depends on customer treatment during the crisis.

Focus #3: The Business
Some organizations capitalize on opportunities that emerge from the pandemic. One company, citing positive opportunism, deviated from core business strategy and the traditional product line to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE). Other respondents referenced tweaking strategic plans to redeploy resources.

Focus #4: The Future
Effective leaders are communicating a growth agenda through 2022, while also sharing specific go-to-market strategies for 2021. One executive highlighted early communication on how the company is better positioned post-pandemic.

To download the complete document, visit Career Partners International – Twin Cities.

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