Like most of you, I’ve received multiple emails over the last few days from companies I do business with. From global corporations to local produce shops, everyone wishes to keep us informed of what they’re doing to protect employees and customers in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
My company sent a very similar message to our own clients and vendors. I feel this is commendable and necessary action given the scope of this crisis. If I were more cynical, though, I might point out that it’s also a common public relations move whenever an event impacts the commercial status quo. That makes it easy for some to dismiss these little messages as self-serving fluff.
The emails I’ve been getting, however, don’t feel like that to me.
I’m not sensing a lot of overt brand-building in these messages. Mostly what I sense is fear: fear of the virus, certainly, but also fear of the future. That’s understandable, given almost everything about this situation is unknown. It’s hard to say “It’ll be all right when we get there!” because right now, we don’t even know where “there” is.
So here’s a somewhat radical thought: let’s stop looking to the future.
Appreciating What We Have
Obviously, we can’t completely stop planning and prepping for tomorrow. But, since there’s a limit to what we can do in that regard, maybe now is a good time to focus on the moment. In other words, we can’t say for sure what’s coming, so let’s talk a little about what we have now.
As I mentioned, the emails I’ve been getting have a certain sense of fear about them. But here’s the thing: it’s genuine fear…genuine concern. This is not spin-doctoring, it’s not a publicity stunt, it’s not “much ado about nothing.” It’s a real situation, with real consequences that we are already starting to see.
But, when I read between the lines of these company emails, I get a sense that leaders are every bit as concerned about their people as they are about their respective brands. Not just their employees, either, but those they do business with and their families, as well. It may be a small silver lining to a looming dark cloud, but I think this is a good thing.
As any entrepreneur can tell you, success isn’t something that happens in a vacuum; there are always people who support you in one way or another. It’s easy to lose sight of that when we’re caught up in the everyday cacophony that goes into running a business. There’s always the danger of looking at Human Resources with too much emphasis on the “resources,” and forget that we are talking about humans.
Never a Better Time to Show Your Appreciation
Right now, both in official emails and in other places, I’m seeing business leaders expressing a real, tangible realization of the worth of the people around them. They’re picturing what would happen if they lost their top sales rep, or that IT person who always has the right answer, or all three people in the billing department. They’re looking at everything their people do, and recognizing how lucky they are to have those folks on their side.
The concern spreads outward to other parties, too. When you realize that the conditions we’re under right now will force some companies into bankruptcy, things start coming into perspective.
Maybe your company can survive, but what about your clients? What about vendors you depend on? No one looks forward to building a new supply chain with people they don’t know, with whom they haven’t built up a working relationship over the years.
Do the people who have supported—and continue to support—you fully realize how much you appreciate that support? There will probably never be a better time to tell them than now.
Kindness Goes a Long Way
There’s no roadmap here: we’re figuring out how to deal with this in real time. We don’t know how long these conditions will last or how bad things will get. All we know is that the social and economic impact will be felt for years.
That said, mindless anxiety about the future isn’t going to help. Do what you can, try to be prepared…but understand there’s a limit. We’re stuck in the moment, so I encourage you to embrace that. Taking stock of the good people and good things in your life is an excellent way to train your mind away from the challenging things that may or may not happen.
This situation is out of our control, and stressing about that is not going to change a single thing. So let’s focus on the things we CAN control, like our actions and our attitudes.
Be smart. Be safe. Be kind. We will get through this, and be stronger for it.
