Surface Ripples

Time to Recover?

With exceptions, much of the “developed” world is relaxing pandemic restrictions and returning to an “endemic” approach whereby COVID is treated as any other dose of ‘flu.

Recovery, however, is proving easier said than done.  Many industries that rely on people to get things done (e.g., travel, hospitality) have found themselves short-staffed after laying off or furloughing staff at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.  Those staff have since found other jobs, started their own businesses, or simply decided to retire.  Result?  No staff right when they’re needed…

Many will be aware of the problems in the airline industry and at airports where there aren’t enough people to:

• Crew the planes
• Check passengers in
• Handle baggage

Hotels also are seeing insufficient numbers to look after guests, ironically just at the time when demand is soaring as restrictions are relaxed.  

Clearly, business that need manpower and furloughed/retrenched staff during the pandemic (for understandable reasons) will not be quick to recover.  Wherever online processes can be substituted for interpersonal action, this will happen.  Other areas will take more time to return to “Business as Usual”.  Some have found ways to do business with fewer employees (occasionally, to the detriment of service quality), but in general, it will be some time (if ever) before things can be considered truly “back to normal” in any sense of the word. 

The situation in Ukraine isn’t helping either.  Gas and food shortages are now prevalent, with one nation seemingly trying to hold the rest of the world hostage in order to achieve the dubious aims of a strongman.

Against this backdrop, contingency planning takes on a whole new dimension.  Gone are the days when a five-year plan could be developed and occasionally “tweaked” during its lifetime.  Now organisations will need to be far more agile in responding o crises that can erupt literally overnight.  Teamwork and leadership will become more important, along with problem-solving, decision-making and the ability to implement change quickly and with minimal disruption to stakeholders.  

Every business will need to approach this differently.  The time for planning, though, is now.

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

Labels: Crisis Management, Customer Care, Leadership, Teamwork

posted by William Martin @ 11:57