Unlike any other previous crisis, the COVID19 outbreak has forced business leaders to bring in radical variations to their work-life routines. CEOs of the company need to learn how other performers are adjusting to the new scenario and implement a similar method to stay alert and ahead during this crisis.
It’s challenging for the CEOs to step back right now, but as the top leader of the organization, he/she should be ready to face this circumstance with the right approach. They’ve to carve out some of their precious time to think about their firm’s future, its employees and customers, and how to meet their new needs.
To help you out, we’ve outlined some crucial points on how you, as a CEO, can fight through this global pandemic COVID19 using the advice from other top leaders.
Jeff Bezos – CEO, Amazon
As the world is dealing with a significant challenge, Amazon continues to do its part by helping the community across the globe. In the letter, Jeff shares some of his priority during this time:
- Changing the supply chain, logistics, purchasing, transportation, and third party seller processes to focus on delivering essential items like sanitizers, medical supplies, baby formula, and household staples.
- Providing sophisticated service to people, especially to the elderly, who are vulnerable and highly dependent on online services.
- Implementing pre-emptive health measures for staff and contractors around the world.
- Increasing the intensity of cleansing to ensure safety and recommends social distancing guidelines.
- Purchasing millions of face masks for employees and contractors who cannot work from home.
- Hiring 100,000 new employees and raising wages for hourly workers during this period of stress and turmoil.
Jeff Bezos says, “My own time and thinking is now wholly focused on COVID-19 and on how Amazon can best play its role. I want you to know Amazon will continue to do its part, and we won’t stop looking for new opportunities to help.”
Tim Cook – CEO, Apple
Apple is one among the first tech giants to come up with a reviewed forecast due to the pandemic. Although the demand for its products has been affected amid the outbreak, Tim Cook was optimistic in regaining his well-built empire. His response to the novel Coronavirus pandemic in a letter to Apple family is outlined below:
- Moving to a flexible work environment outside of Greater China. Employees can work from home based on their existing role.
- Maximize the interpersonal space between the workers who are required to be on site.
- Extensive cleaning will continue at all offices, including health screenings and temperature checks.
- Hourly workers will get payment in arrangement with the existing business model.
- Leave policies are enhanced to support personal as well as family health circumstances.
- Shifting the annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) to an online experience this summer.
Besides those efforts, the company has donated $15 million worldwide to treat the victims of COVID19 and to lessen the economic impacts because of it. It is also planning to double the employee donations to support the response.
Chuck Sykes – President and Chief Executive Officer, Sykes
Amid this global pandemic situation, Sykes is transforming quickly to ensure the safety of their team and continued business operation in the short- and long-term. Some of the crisis-response methods followed by the CEO of Sykes include:
- Transitioning around half of the workforce (more than 25,000) to work-at-home (WAH) to encourage social distancing.
- Launching a resource for employees and clients alike – athome.sykes.com.
- Developing an internal resource portal for Sykes teams around the world. This portal shares practical guidance on working at home, managing teams remotely, etc.
- Practicing strict communication protocol to ensure the timely and accurate distribution of information.
- Restricting site visitors and limiting all the non-essential travel.
- Educating the staff on healthy habits, proper hand-washing, and staying home when sick.
- Following disinfection protocols and focusing on highly used spaces such as restroom surfaces, elevator buttons, door handles, etc.
- Continually monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and adjusting to the changes and restrictions in quarantine policy.
Chuck Sykes says, “We are proud of the work we’ve done to keep business going despite great challenges and obstacles — every day, we continue to help people, one caring interaction at a time.”
Richard Florizone – President and CEO, IISD
As the global situation regarding COVID-19 evolved quickly, IISD has taken certain precautions to protect the employees and associates, while reducing the transmission of this virus. In his letter to the IISD community, he shares some of the measures followed by their team:
- Nearly all of the employees are practicing social distancing by working from their home until further notice.
- Stringent restrictions are imposed on traveling, and every public event has been postponed or canceled.
- The educational and public tours are also suspended until May.
- They have updated Experimental Lakes Area experts on several limits to tasks.
As this pandemic has forced IISD to implement the above strategies, the company will continue to take on exciting projects, furnace new partnerships, publish imperative research, share their new learning process, and advocate for better policy.
Nikos Moraitakis – CEO, Workable
As companies are implementing social distancing and work from home arrangements in response to COVID19, Nikos Moraitakis also explores the options to follow the same and help other companies in this area. His new crisis-response strategy consists of the following to-do list:
- Creating a library of resources based on best practices such as response plans, employee communication templates, recommended tools, WFH policy templates, insightful articles, tutorials, etc.
- Sharing valuable materials and tips from experts around the world via Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
- Account management and support teams will provide tips and help other companies optimize their account for remote collaboration.
- Providing free entry to all their Video Interviews for the customers based on a yearly scheme.
With the above plan, he assures his extended support for customers and the employees in every way possible.
Now it’s Your Turn
As time goes by, this widespread pandemic may assert some more pressure on the existing company infrastructure, resources, and technology. Therefore, along with following the practices mentioned above by top leaders, it’s equally essential for you to thoroughly understand the everyday business operation and de-clutter the unessential ones. With the unique, effective, and tailored crisis-response, you can implement a carefully mapped out action plan to fight through it.
