If there is one word that sums up a mindset and trait that both individuals and organizations need in the Covid/Post Covid world, it is definitely the word flexibility.
At no time in most of our lifetimes has there been more need for flexibility in order to prepare and respond to whatever comes our way next.
Paired with that are the requirements for patience, understanding, and empathy.
As individuals we or family members have gotten sick, day care and schools have had to shut down or make major adjustments that then domino through from our personal lives into our professional lives.
Businesses then, have had to prepare for and adjust to those waves of unpredictable events as best they can to both motivate and retain talent while trying to ensure exceptional customer service levels.
At times, this is a dance that is difficult to coordinate, and we are all challenged to keep the music going while trying to avoid tripping over each other.
This pandemic era has forced many businesses to be more gracious and empathetic to their team than they have ever been. Without that, they are likely to be short-staffed in an already tight labor market.
While there are many considerations for businesses to manage when it comes to recruiting and retention from the traditional aspects such as rates of pay to the more recent focus on more flexible work schedules, working from home, and other more nontraditional benefits; much of it boils down to allowing for flexibility. Today more than ever, that flexibility can benefit both parties.
Along with the good will and practical benefits created by flexibility, empathy and thankfulness are both precursors and byproducts of that flexibility.
Understanding and empathy are not the same thing you need both. Understanding is being able to objectively look at the conditions and facts in a way that allows you to understand how x leads to y. Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of individuals that the circumstances of x and y create.
Being flexible and demonstrating understanding and empathy are key to navigating the times we are in. Be sure to assess how your organization is performing in these areas. The more you lead in these areas, the more success you will have in not only attracting and retaining talent but providing and excelling at providing your customers with a high level of service that translates into retention on the client side.
The song for this blog is Respirate by Pinegrove. It is about taking a breath; slowing down and assessing to help get through the ups and downs of life. Being flexible and taking it day by day as it refers to the times and struggles of the Covid era. Take a moment and give it a listen, the lyrics are part of the link. Take a breath, respirate, and be flexible. As the song says, its good for us to find: “the space between the trees, the patience that you need for real clarity to reach you.”
Shameless plug: Appreciation can be demonstrated via the products and services we here at Identity Works provide. New hire swag kits welcoming new team members. Swag kits showing appreciation for the entire team and staying connected to those working remotely. Swag kits to stay in touch and stay top of mind with clients.
In a world with a constant digital deluge where much of it is automatically tuned out, branded merchandise/swag cuts through all that with real products for real people; showing tangible appreciation cutting through that digital clutter.
Unless humans someday decide to shed our physical bodies altogether and live as digital beings in the so called metaverse, there will always be a role to play for physical swag in building your brand and building your teams.