{"id":224106,"date":"2020-03-27T17:36:48","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T12:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/18.224.85.231\/?p=224106"},"modified":"2020-04-18T17:10:28","modified_gmt":"2020-04-18T11:40:28","slug":"authenticity-is-now-more-important-than-ever-during-the-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/authenticity-is-now-more-important-than-ever-during-the-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"Authenticity is now more important than ever during the coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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My inbox has been flooded with compassionate messages from retailers, businesses and SaaS vendors expressing their concern about the effect COVID-19 is having, assuring customers or subscribers about what they\u2019re doing to keep everyone safe.<\/p>\n

Take time to talk with your executives and teams about extra things you might do with your marketing to help everyone get through the next weeks and months.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in management or a member of a team that\u2019s going through radical changes, these steps can help you translate your concern to action.<\/p>\n

1. Retool your communications to avoid \u201cvirtue signaling\u201d<\/h2>\n

I encourage you all to read this article: \u201cBeware of virtue signaling or outright greed in brand communications about COVID-19<\/a>\u201d by Augie Ray, a VP analyst for Gartner. Augie warns against sending messages that make you look like a jerk, no matter how good your intentions are. Pay attention to his warning when you talk about your brand\u2019s values without showing how you act on them.<\/p>\n

2. Support your employees who are now working from home instead of coming to the office<\/h2>\n

Some of your workers will be great at working from home. Some people should never work from home. Let me explain.<\/p>\n

I have rotated between a corporate and home office for years. Working at home is full of distractions. Opportunities are lurking all through the house to get to those tasks that you never finished on the weekend, like the laundry, cleaning the kitchen or catching up on your latest TV binge-fest.<\/p>\n

Working from home gives some people an advantage. I tell some of my high producers to work from home because they can focus and get more done. Others can\u2019t resist the siren song of the TV or the nagging annoyance of a messy living room.<\/p>\n

As we move the workday from the office to the home, we need to consider that not everybody will be used to working in this environment. Nor can they all discipline themselves, stay on task and ignore the world around them. Especially if kids are fighting in the next room, the dog constantly wants to go outside, or a spouse is also working from home.<\/p>\n

When you have team meetings, be authentic. Connect with your remote employees in different ways. Ask them what they\u2019re struggling with. Try to connect personally, not just as a boss with a to-do list.<\/p>\n

Make sure your teams have what they need.\u00a0Do they need more monitors? Do they have webcams, noise-canceling headphones?\u00a0Being present for your teams shows how you support them.<\/p>\n

We learn in Management 101 to keep employees at a distance. But it\u2019s okay to be emotional during this stressful time. Be sure your people can still function as a team and feel empowered to express their frustrations and challenges without worrying about job security.<\/p>\n

3. Require video conferencing for team meetings<\/h2>\n

As someone who has worked for years with remote teams and with companies in different countries, it is my practice to require that most meetings be done via video conferencing, not just by phone.<\/p>\n

Remember that you are asking your entire team to go home and work in isolation. They\u2019re used to being in the office to see each other. Now they don\u2019t have that visual interaction. You have to solve for that isolation.<\/p>\n

Get up to speed on the video tools you use like Zoom, GoToMeeting or Skype. Then require <\/strong>that all meetings be done with these tools \u2013 and with cameras on.<\/p>\n

One byproduct of video conferencing is that people have to be presentable. Asking employees not to show up in a ratty T-shirt or PJs helps them stick to their daily routines. Even when they aren\u2019t on camera, this comfortable feeling can sap their productivity.<\/p>\n

Remember to have fun, too. Ask people to stick to a routine during the week, but then relax the standards on Friday. Make it \u201cshorts and a T-shirt\u201d day, then go back to regular operations on Monday.<\/p>\n

4. Think outside your own box<\/h2>\n

From marketing to operations to executives, we\u2019re all going to have to think about things differently. How do we engage employees? How do we motivate them? How do we have to change the way we talk to our customers or subscribers?<\/p>\n

Then, look at your product mix. What could you change to help your customer base? Do you have a paid or premium service that you could offer for free to help them get through the next couple of months?<\/p>\n

For example, videoconferencing services are extending their enhancing their free services to help companies and schools transition to remote work.<\/p>\n

More ideas:<\/p>\n