We’re still in the midst of a global pandemic with many variations in rules, guidelines and procedures based on which state, county and community in which we work. While many businesses remain remote working, many others have begun to open back up.
So how do you navigate around the locational challenges associated with today’s disparate regulations given where one works isn’t necessarily where one lives, therefore having different guidelines to follow?
For businesses in California, for example, Los Angeles County may be in the ‘purple zone’ while Orange County is in the ‘red zone’ and San Diego in the ‘orange zone.’
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All of these zones have different rules as to what opening a business can mean, yet all of these counties border each other, so individuals could live and work within two different counties.
This is a huge consideration point to take on when determining how to lead a business amidst a pandemic.
In order to do so, it’s recommended by local government officials to follow guidance based on the location of the business.
Therefore, as the leader of a business, it’s important you know the local guidelines, and ensure you’re following accordingly.
It’s also important that the business be patient and understanding that everyone’s experience and concerns vary amongst each individual, making it not a one size fits all scenario.
Businesses should encourage individuals to determine what is best for them given their health risks, exposure to those at risk and overall comfort level.
Based on those individual decisions, businesses should understand that when open, some people may not want to come back in-person, and that is okay.
Others can’t wait to get back into the office, and that too is okay.
When it comes to leading a business around these emerging COVID-19 times, it’s important to be prepared for business to cross over into personal, as one’s health concerns must come first and therefore, a business should respect each person’s decision to stay with the business or depart based on their individual needs.
Valerie Christopherson is founder and CEO of Global Results Communications (GRC), an award-winning public relations firm trusted by both entrepreneurs on the cusp of new discoveries and multi-billion-dollar enterprises breaking new ground. Renowned for her expertise in high tech, she is the driving force behind GRC’s targeted communications strategies that dramatically enhance client market presence and performance on a global scale.
Leading a business amidst a pandemic also requires a keen understanding of what your customer is going through, and how the services and/or product the business is delivering can help meet their business goals and objectives.
It also requires a lot of flexibility in pricing models while navigating through changes that can happen based on real-time changes.
For example, for nurses working in a hospital, the hospital business can require having on staff a large number of support in a moment’s notice, so it’s important that the hospital have the proper communications tools in place to send out an ‘alert’ as to when people need to be ‘on-call’ vs not.
The bottom line is that leading a business through COVID-19 is a playbook still being written.
As we navigate through the remainder for 2020, there will be no doubt some additional turns and twists into how we are doing business, and setting guidelines for the future to come.
This article was originally posted on Nov. 12, 2020
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