But while it's relatively
easy to keep teams on track work-wise, the bigger challenge is to keep your organisational culture alive when everyone's suddenly no longer together under one roof.
Culture is very important because it is the
one thing that truly makes you stand out as a company. It's what gets your people bouncing out of bed in the mornings; it gets them to embrace innovation and get closer to your clients. And in times of crisis, maintaining that special culture is more critical than
ever.
There are two things that make a culture: external drivers, like your office building and physical environment; and internal drivers, like values and purpose. Now that those have been taken away, how do we keep our culture alive and thriving?
Here are four ways that you can practice and maintain company culture while the workforce is at home:
1. Start with purpose
All great cultures are built on a clear, powerful purpose. At King Price, for example, its entire company is built around its purpose of '#MakingADifference' and changing people's lives.
Just because we're working from home does not mean that the purpose of your business changes. This is a major motivator for staff.
2. Double down on your values
One of the many important values to have is to be
real. When you're working remotely, you've got to stay authentic and trustworthy. If people can't see each other physically, they have to be able to trust each other implicitly.
You must trust your team and your team must be able to trust you. Take the time to connect as a team. In times of uncertainty, we all want to know we're not alone.
It's something that humans crave. So, it's vital that we make sure that we stay connected. Remember, sending out lots of mails doesn't mean that you're communicating. Set a standard check-in time for your team every day and
stick to it.
One of the things that make teams special is the human connection, and seeing a familiar face and touching base can often make all the difference.
3. Get some sun every day
Sitting at home alone for 21 days can be depressing for some people, especially for the extroverts among us. That's why it's vital to get out into the garden and get some sun every day. Get your body moving!
It's vital that we stay in a good space emotionally and that we look after our physical and mental health.
4. Use your time effectively
Gideon Galloway, one of King Price CEOs, has a saying: "Don't waste a good crisis. Instead of focusing on the things we
can't control, let's focus on what we
can, and use our time effectively."
This is a great opportunity to think about life after COVID-19 and to emerge re-energised and with fresh ideas and thinking of how we can show more value.
We don't know yet what life after the virus will look like. One thing is for sure, and that is it's going to be different. The moment the lockdown ends, the companies and people who have kept their culture intact, and hit the ground running, will be the ones that stand out.
For more information, visit
www.kingprice.co.za. You can also follow King Price on
Facebook,
Twitter or on
Instagram.