This downtime is a gift...use it to your advantage!
Why do militaries continue to hold physical training sessions, strategy formulation meetings and practice drills in times of peace? Surely, it’s a waste of time and money you may think. Not so. Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “You cannot prevent a major catastrophe, but you can build an organisation that is battle-ready. In military training, the first rule is to instil soldiers with trust in their officers - because without trust, they won’t fight”.
At a time when Covid-19 is gripping the world in its talons and countries are in varying states of lockdown (or denial), businesses are badly hit. Tourism is especially hard-hit in our little isle – domestic tourism is all but impossible as we have travel restrictions, and international tourism is a risky prospect at best – do we really want to open our borders at this time, when not even 10% of our population is immunised? Better stay safe and alive than take the risk, at least until we reach a suitable level of vaccination. Thus, all those in the industry are in a state of despair.
Despite the despair, this downtime is perhaps the best time to re-group, renew, rebuild, and re-energise in anticipation for the surge in business activity that is projected to follow. Global optimism predicts a boom across all industries unlike any other, once majorities of populations have been vaccinated and border closures cease or are eased. Are you ready for the boom? Or will it hit you like a runaway train through a cinder-block wall? Here are some things you can do to ‘rally your troops’ and get them ‘battle-ready’.
Strengthen trust
With the lockdowns, work-from-home and other restrictions, it is inevitable that your lower-tier workers may feel somewhat alienated due to lack of communication. Do not forget them. Organise virtual meeting sessions over Zoom, Skype or even WhatsApp. Do not immediately talk shop either. Inquire about their families and their wellbeing. Ensure that your top management are present at the session. These simple activities will renew the trust that your loyal employees had in you during regular times. Remember Drucker’s quote, without trust, your soldiers will not ‘fight’ for you!
Review and Renew
This is a good time to review your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines, bring them up to date with the current and near-future predicted trends, and otherwise do some documentation spring cleaning. Engage your teams across this activity, with every level enjoying some level of participation in the activity. This will not only allow you to hit the ground running when the ‘boom’ of customers arrives, but signal to your staff that your eye is firmly on the future – not just yours, but theirs as well!
Cultural Adjustments
Step back and take a hard look at your organisational culture. Has it become a bit too stuffy, buttoned-down, and stiff lately? This is a good time to engineer a subtle shift towards a more open, inclusive, and collaborative culture. This is a hard pill to swallow – there are plenty of people who thrive on establishing and fostering rigid formalities and hierarchies. However, you need to identify if these are limiting factors that are stifling the growth of your business, and act accordingly. This is where we diverge from the military, where hierarchy and the strict following of orders are deeply embedded.
Technological Implementations
Think back to the last time your establishment underwent a technological change during regular times – be it a minor upgrade, or a major system change. Was it smooth? Not likely. Tech implementations are usually a series of trials, where ‘bugs’ are identified, squashed, systems tweaked and fine-tuned. During normal times, this may cause customers to face issues, delays and confusion. Some may complain angrily. This downtime is the best time to perform any system upgrades or new initiatives that were planned, as your staff can engage themselves with undertaking the trials and adjustments required, ensuring that the new system runs like a Swiss watch once customers return.
Ashraaq Wahab - Technical Director Hospitality Sri Lanka, Automotive Journalist, Marketer and Writer, who enjoys penning his thoughts, insights and ideas on a variety of topics.
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