The scale of the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic is something we've never experienced before. Every country and every person worldwide has been affected by it one way or another. And while some businesses seem to carry on somehow, many haven't been so lucky.
What's worse, we still don't know for how long the pandemic will continue to wreak havoc in the world. We witnessed a slight revival during the summer, but the second wave started as soon as the Fall came. And this time, it's not taking any captives.
To ensure your business survives the COVID 19 crisis, you need to develop an efficient business continuity plan. Sure, it might not defend your venture entirely, but it will help you reduce the damage the pandemic has caused. And since most of your employees have to work remotely, the key to succeeding has become efficient communication.
Below, you'll find out more about business continuity and what are the communication tips and guidelines you should follow to ensure it.
The first communication tip for the covid world is making sure communication is as regular as possible. You need to inform your employees and customers of any update you want to implement. What's more, regular communication ensures your staff stay calm and don't panic.
It also provides your clients and partners with the information necessary for conducting business as usual. If you regularly communicate with them, they'll see that your company works fine and there's nothing to worry about.
It's crucial when ensuring they stay committed to your venture and build up your authority, reliability, and reputation.
The biggest problem with working from home is that it significantly hinders communication efficiency. And one thing you ought to know about business continuity is that it won't work without effective communication channels.
You should be able to quickly inform your employees about the newest updates and allow them to communicate with each other freely. The best communication tip to achieve that goal, is to use dedicated platforms. Apps like Slack, even social media platforms, like Facebook or LinkedIn.
What's more, such platforms will allow you to quickly get through to your employees, ensuring efficient communication during an emergency.
Honest feedback is extremely important when dealing with a situation we have now. Suppose your employees are free to share their thoughts and concerns without fear of retribution. Only then, you'll be able to determine whether your organization works as it should.
To ensure you get an honest opinion, you need to create a secure feedback channel where every employee will be able to provide you with the information you need. Many leaders underestimate the power of feedback, but it's one of the most efficient communication methods in the company.
Every organization's objectives change throughout the year, but the coronavirus outbreak turned everything upside down like nothing before.
Many companies failed to adapt to the situation, and if you don't want to share their fate, you have to adjust your goals to the current situation.
But setting new objectives for your business is not enough.
You need to make them realistic, and more importantly, transparent. Make sure every employee understands what you demand from them and find an efficient way to measure the development.
What's more, once your workers get familiar with your goals, they'll work more effectively and increase their productivity. That can significantly decrease the negative impact of a disastrous event, ensuring there aren't any major disruptions.
But once you create your business continuity plan and implement all the communication tips, you have to ensure they work properly. That's why measuring your efforts is necessary to help you determine your plan's strengths and weaknesses.
As mentioned before, one way to do that is by receiving honest feedback from the people who work for you. But your employees are not the only ones who can give you feedback. Take some time and ask your customers and partners how they rate your efforts.
You can also run simulations of various disaster scenarios and measure how working remotely impacts the information flow. Many companies fail to test their contingency plans, only to realize that they're not efficient when the threat comes.
The communication tips are simple. Your company won't survive the coronavirus crisis without an efficient business continuity plan. It will help you decrease potential downtimes and ensure your business operations are fine, even in the event of a disastrous event. What's more, it will also help your company in recovery.
And while your BCP should include a wide variety of scenarios, at the moment, the most important thing is efficient communication. Creating the right channels will ensure your employees, customers, and business partners communicate with you quickly and effectively.
Bear in mind that getting feedback will improve your decision making, ensuring you steer your company to safety through the COVID 19 pandemic. If you fail to adapt your business continuity plan to the current situation, your company stands no chance in the long term.
