Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, threats or significant sources of stress. I think it is safe to say we are all experiencing at least one of the above. We need resiliency now more than ever, because the end of this pandemic may not be as close as we all hope. According to many, we are in for much worse before things get better.

In the seminal article for this series Rubik’s Cubes and Community Health, I outline the history behind “The Quadrants” and how I built upon that theory using the principles of Peter Senge and a dyad feature. Practicing and refining this system helped make remarkable changes in three complex systems over short bursts of time.

This “burst of time” that is Covid may seem insurmountably long for many. The duration of this strain may prove especially challenging for our essential employees. Maintaining enthusiastic, reliable, teams that resist fatigue may prove very difficult this winter if things get worse. By late December, the “holiday mood boost” and adrenaline of surviving 2020, its election season, and racial tensions, may begin to dissolve into despair and chronic fatigue. I offer this paper as a springboard for you to begin preparing for what might be a tough winter.

Communication

Constant and easy communication is essential during this time. If you have twenty employees or more and rely upon email and group texts to communicate, consider a plan to fade away from that technology and migrate to industrial media. Slack and Teams are two of the most well-known team communication platforms, but Slack is best for certain company cultures. Find one that feels right, and begin using it for everyone from the CEO to the front line.

Really explore it and work creatively until it is broadly embraced. Commit to moving away from email entirely over a carefully planned time period. These communication platforms help decrease the time delay between the identification of a threat/opportunity and a collective intelligent response from an entire team. It can take time for everyone to get used to this method, but if the CEO sets the tone for adoption and positive interactions your team will be working seamlessly in no time. Once you get your team communicating effortlessly, you’ll want to support individuals by deploying strategic, targeted, and customized employee support.

Customized Employee Support

All of our employees are essential, but many cannot perform ANY of their jobs without being physically on-site, next to, or near the service recipient. All of us are strained, but the details and effective solutions vary for each team or individual. To offer customized employee support you’ll want to begin by not lumping all employees into one group. Break them out by who they serve and where. Categorizing your teams and reflecting on the relative strain they must be experiencing is a great start! I created the following categories for my leadership teams, as a starting point to dialog and explore pain points which overlap or are unique.

Off site non-client facing (NCF) essential

This group consists of your back office teams. The revenue cycle, accounting and compliance teams all fall into this category more than likely. Off-site NCF essential staff may be dealing with issues of isolation, guilt, anxiety, and confusion/disorientation. These folks need your attention but mainly to see how their support system is holding up. Many of these employees may be closing in on five months or longer of largely “off-site” work and more social isolation (or family immersion) and uncertainty than they have ever faced.

Off site client facing (CF) essential

In this group, you have your community counselors, therapists, and prescribers that can conduct covered services in support of client care via video or mobile audio alone. These practitioners have likely had very little experience with remote technology and needed a lot of technological support. Keep the technological support flowing, make sure their home offices are private, and that their background is professional.

Check on them by asking about family supports to ensure that natural family structures are not fracturing under the strain of constant isolation. The divorce rate according to many sources saw a disturbing spike in 2020, a direct result of the covid quarantine and isolation. Make sure EAP is solid and even consider contracting with a proven agency to provide virtual counseling. Don’t get scammed. If they are a brand you’ve never heard of before, do some homework, and let’s check them out together.

Site-Based non-client facing (SBNCF)

Information technology teams, property/food services, and delivery drivers, to name a few are out working and likely never stopped. These employees are well aware they are at work while many are home, but feel relatively safe given the lack of contact with others. The needs of this group are going to be unique to their circumstances and supervisors, and team leads should be checking in frequently. But more than that, hazard pay. Be generous with hazard pay if you can. You need them, they are likely some of your most productive employees and you want them to feel cared for. Prepare to budget for a full year of it as a contingency in 2021.

On-site client facing (OSCF)

These team members have it the hardest in my opinion. Like metro workers, they do not know who they will come into contact with and may work with very impoverished populations with various levels of enlightenment with regard to pandemic hygiene and protocol. Care workers of all types fall into this category. These jobs are challenging and are generally on the lower pay scale. We must survey these employees every week in the beginning and ask them how we can help.

After the survey results are known, leadership teams MUST respect the principles of Peter Senge and his “feedback loops” to promptly make adjustments where possible, and to clearly explain why other suggestions were in fact considered, and were not adopted “for the following reasons…”  Dismissive language like “not reasonable” “impossible” “not going to happen”, “administration doesn’t care”, is not going to work well today. It will only split your workforce and create more opportunities for service failure. When changes are made, survey again, and again! OSCF employees must be identified by human resources and targets for special recognition and financial assistance. These are the teams that should be showered with the most praise and resources.

Clowning Around is Mandatory

Keeping employees engaged and having fun is mandatory during this time. Try forming a channel on your industrial media site to float fun ideas, past employees, create a moderated meme channel, or encourage team members to share pictures of kids and companion animals. Some will think something is fun and others will think it’s dumb. So what? Try it.

Try playing games that teams can play over time virtually, like Yahtzee! or bingo. You can offer gift card drawings or quizzes as well. Whatever engages and makes them feel special. Word of advice, never give a gift card from a specific store. Cash cards only. Don’t presume to know they like coffee, even if they do. Gather your fun lovers and make fun a priority!

When looking at how to maintain employee well being long-term make sure you start making plans now. Few would argue to starve your front-line troops preparing for war. Start feeding them and investing now. Build a plan, and stick to it. Investments in making these teams a little more engaged and happy will pay dividends in all four quadrants simultaneously and enable you to emerge slightly healthier than your competition. That is what I call a “quadrant grand slam”, and quadrant grand slams are also known as “no brainers”.