RIP your business objectives; time to re-think

Employee engagement in a world where toilet roll is the new currency and baked beans are the new crack.

Here I am, outside on my own. The sun is shining but there’s a bite to the breeze. I pull my scarf up over my face, look around and step back into the shadows. It’s 4.38pm and he’s late.

“You buying then or what”, the gravelly voice says from behind the mask.

“What you got?” I say, “Heinz? Branston?”.

“Smartprice” he replies, and I pinch my eyes. I turn around and look to the sky. This isn’t going as I hoped.

“OK” I say, “I’ll take two tins. But that’s not worth a whole roll”.

Reeling off 20 sheets of three-ply quilted white, my mind drifts off. Back to life before March 2020. When the world was a different place

A dose of reality

OK, things aren’t quite like that, yet. I am a baked bean addict, but so far I’ve been surviving on the small rations I get legitimately. I’ve had to open my mind to chilli flavour, and low-salt alternatives, but really these are first world problems.

The world is a strange place right now. People are dying and we all have someone we’re worried about.

But let’s not dwell on that. The birds are singing, and the sun is out – things will get better.

About those business plans

We never could have predicted this. As people. As businesses. Yet this is real life, and the quicker we adapt, the more things feel normal.

I’m sorry to tell you this, but all of your plans pre-March 2020 – they’re f#cked. Now, I know it’s not professional to swear on a blog, but circumstances have changed, and this feels appropriate. Your people objectives, your marketing plans, your goals and expectations – they’re all outdated. Even if they’re just one month old.

Will things return to the way they were? How long will that be? We just don’t know right now. But we can focus on the thing that is constant – the need for people.

People are key to all of the things we do. They drive our businesses forward, they buy our products and services, and they’re the glue that holds everything together. And, well, they’re in a difficult place right now, and they need your help.

Maslow nailed it

Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? It’s nothing new. But have you ever really looked at it? I mean really looked at it? If you take a peek now, it might seem a little different.

The simple principle is this – people have basic needs – things like food, water and shelter. Only when these are met, can someone concentrate on the higher needs, like self-fulfilment.

Personally, every time I’ve looked at that diagram – I have just seen a theory. I’ve always been in a place near the top, thinking of work objectives or the next fitness challenge. But now when I look at it, I see reality.

You see, we’ve all fallen to the bottom of the pyramid. We’re back to thinking about food. About a safe environment in which to live.

Now most employers are doing amazing work to support this – really going above and beyond. But there’s a stage which is about to follow – that’s re-planning and looking forward into what people are calling the ‘new normal’.

No one cares what you’re selling

Are you thinking about the next car you’ll buy? Or whether you should get the latest iPhone? I’m guessing not. But the old us would have been. We were consumers and we loved that stuff (figuratively speaking, I’m not that shallow – I promise).

The new us, we don’t care about what you’re selling. And by ‘selling’, I mean pushing what’s important to you. We’re all in self-preservation mode, and there’s no telling how long that’ll last. So, as you start to regroup and look at your business plans, consider these six pointers:

1. Understand where people are at mentally
   Maslow’s triangle is more than a theory, it’s a business aid.

2. Lead with compassion
   Good businesses were already empathetic, but now it’s not optional. This has to be central to everything you do.

3. Be realistic with expectations
   People are scared. And whilst they’re scared, the only thing they’re interested in are things that make them feel less scared.

4. Do the right thing
   An investment in people now will come back in kind. All of the support and consideration you give will be paid back through longer-term employee engagement.

5. Connect on their level
   If you want to have a conversation about something else – through internal comms, through marketing – then you have to meet people on their terms. Understand their fears. Understand their needs. That’s where you build your new plans.

6. Make them crack a smile
   Finally, just because we’re in a dark place, that doesn’t mean there’s not room for humour. We need it more than ever.

There are two sets of plans – pre-virus plans, which are obsolete. And post-virus plans, those which understand the mindset of others.

Beans will come and go. Virus’s too. But loyalty remains. Now is the time to show compassion and empathy to your audience. That doesn’t mean you can’t have new objectives. It just means they have to fit with the new-look people within it.

P.S. Sorry for swearing. I’ve put some money in my jar 😉