We’ve been hearing a lot about all of the doom and gloom on the business and economic front that has come as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are also ways to discover gratitude in the face of current events. I am grateful that AMC Global was able to come up with a few strategies, coupled with a bit of luck, that have helped us succeed in this precarious environment. I wanted to share a few of the steps with others, to spark fresh ideas and hope for those who are feeling the burden of the crisis in their workplace or company.
Identify your specific concerns up front
As a marketing research firm, we had questions such as...
- Will our clients continue to launch new products?
- Will they continue to spend money on research?
- How will our employees adapt to working in a 100% remote structure?
- How long will we need to work remotely?
While it may be impossible to answer some of these questions with lots of unknowns in play, at least bring up your most pressing concerns, get them out in the open and discuss them. Bear the weight of worry as a team and work toward finding answers together.
Work toward true business continuity
We all heard this phrase at the beginning of the crisis, as companies strove to reassure their customers that nothing would change. However, during this pandemic, there were obvious changes to workflow and teamwork that needed to be addressed. Address these concerns head-on and provide employees the tools they need to carry on.
Make work-from-home, work
By choosing the proper communication channels, having regular check-ins, and the technological support to make it happen, many companies are experiencing increases in productivity while working from home. There is no time wasted on commuting to work, and team members often have fewer distractions while working from home.
DO NOT micromanage your leaders
Simply put—let your leaders lead their teams.
Take every opportunity to build
While the COVID crisis may have forced many of your competitors to furlough employees, layoff employees, or close down altogether, this may create tremendous opportunity to bring in the new talent you need in order to grow your business. Beyond expanding your team, look for growth opportunities that fall into your area of expertise. Find the new opportunities that will allow you to continue to apply your skills. This could mean building relationships in a new sector that is thriving during the pandemic (such as consumer packaged goods), networking (there are many virtual opportunities right now!), and closely monitoring trends to find new business.While these may seem like basic steps, many times the most foundational actions are overlooked as people start to panic or feel under pressure. It’s a crazy, uncertain time, so there is always going to be risk. The point is: don’t sit back and “wait this out” from a business standpoint; instead, take the necessary steps to grow your business. Stay positive, pivot and look for new opportunities. Someday, we may all be able to put the pandemic behind us, with confidence. In the meantime, implement thoughtful strategies that will help your business succeed.
In conclusion
It’s been a win/win! Our clients are putting their trust in us to provide the critical insights they need in order to grow their brands. In turn, we are investing in our team in order to meet the growing demand for our services, and to continue to provide the necessary bandwidth in order to ensure the high level of consultation that our clients expect from our company.
Ken Roshkoff is president of AMC Global, has knack for developing innovative solutions and his leadership skills have enabled him to assemble a team of some of the best and brightest people you’ll find in the marketing research industry. www.amcglobal.com