The CSR universe is definitely feeling the effects of the Coronavirus or COVID-19 as we help our clients navigate responses and are impacted ourselves. While we try very hard to put things into perspective, it’s hard not to get swept up in the pandemic’s focus and constant media attention.
Just in the past week, we’ve seen the following: a team member’s spouse get “grounded” from any work travel, a client interviewed by the AJC because of her virtual work model, advising another client on their communications with medical patients, an entire school system in the Atlanta area getting shut down, a client’s first quarter events getting cancelled and moved to virtual-only engagements, and the continued shortages of disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizers, and toilet paper.
COVID-19 and its various impacts are definitely teaching us some important work and life lessons. Here are the top ones:
Refine your contingency and emergency response plans. It doesn’t matter how large or small your business is, you’re going to need to be flexible. Whether out of fear or from a true threat or illness, your employees or your customers may not behave normally or be able to work or purchase. What will your responses be, and how will you mitigate those risks?
Stay home when you’re sick. Take your symptoms and others’ safety seriously. This is the not the time to play work hero and struggle through when you’re not feeling well.
Listen to the experts. This is not the time to self-diagnosis OR play into fears stirred up by the thousands of hits of social media misinformation. We might make fun of the very basic and insistent advice that’s being dispensed, but it’s sound and practical.
Deep breath – we will get through this.