Panelists:

Chris Powell, Chief Executive Officer; Kara McCord, Solutions Consultant; Luis Hernandez, People Analyst.

COVID-19 has disrupted life and work and has forced us to let go of what was normal. Organizations have had to adapt in real-time with little to no preparation and many people have suffered by being placed on furlough, having been laid off, or taken salary cuts. Navigating these unprecedented times can be difficult not only on the business but also on your employees. 

“In my 20+ years of work experience, this moment that we are in right now, I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it” said Chris.

Because of the uncertainty and constant changes brought by COVID-19, it’s important to gather the necessary information to adapt and get back to achieving sustainable performance. “Organizations want to gather feedback but they don’t know how to…they want to be effective but personal,” says Kara.

The Talmetrix team key takeaways are: 

• Managing change is difficult and has a high chance of failure (~50-75%). COVID-19 has brought a change unlike anything we have ever seen before!

Related Article: It’s Time to Elevate

• Listening to employees during these times is more important than ever before – “Change is situational, the transition is psychological”.
• Remote work: understand the needs of employees that impact productivity, engagement, and well-being.
• Renew: understand what is impacting change readiness and group development as employee transition through change.
• Thrive: understand the key drivers of engagement and retention to get back to achieving sustainable performance.

Related Article: There Has Never Been a More Important Time to Listen

• The journey of transitioning through change to renew goals and mission is a process that requires three phases: 
• Phase 1 – Employee mindset: understand how employees are being impacted by the change.
• Phase 2 – Problem-solving: understand how employees are working together to adapt and embrace the change. 
• Phase 3 – Purpose and Performance: understand employees’ sense of belonging, commitment, and engagement towards your organization's new future (goals and mission) brought by the change.

Related Article: The “New Normal” Demands New Approaches to Measure Employee Engagement

Transitioning Through Change

“Organizations are human systems whose culture, performance, and success rise and fall based on the ability to harness and optimize the collective skills, knowledge, attributes, and diversity mindsets and experiences of the people who work within” said Chris. 

COVID-19 has impacted all of us but we are all unique individuals and how each of us respond will be different. However, change is nothing new as Chris mentioned that “In any given point we are experiencing change, [just] right now [there] is a significant amount of change”.

Given the complexity of the current changes, there are already plans in placed to get back to normal in the next couple of weeks. Barbershops, restaurants, and stores are beginning to open but “Our next normal won’t stabilize until two years from now” Chris cites. We are in for a long journey that will require addressing different factors before finding stability.

“The end goal is to help employees’ transition to sustain performance” Kara says. But this will be “…challenging if you try to push for productivity and performance without investing in exploring what it is that your employees need to show up for [your organization]” Chris argues. 

The Talmetrix team has discussed with leaders across industries and research the best practices to help you navigate the changes brought by COVID-19. In this webinar, we shared those insights and how we can help you adapt, move forward, and get back to achieving sustainable performance!