Calling all HR, PR and Internal Communications professionals…there’s got to be a better way.

Reading this CNN article about L’Oréal and their return-to-office efforts made my heart race. At a time when the stakes are so high for companies to help employees navigate through change and demonstrate leadership, this narrative feels like the company is missing huge opportunities for connection, engagement and growth that could be the silver lining of the pandemic.

If we could roll the clocks back to make better decisions that align with company values, here’s what we’d recommend:

Amid Pandemic, Employee Concerns Command Leader Attention

The Grossman Group recently conducted a survey of dozens of leaders and communicators, asking a frank question: “What’s keeping you up at night?”

It turns out that the answer was essentially, “a lot!” Here’s a sampling of one respondent who summed up the wide-ranging concerns in a hospital setting:

“I work in healthcare in NYC. My staff are already suffering on a personal level, dealing with all the changes brought on by COVID (risk of exposure, lack of social/familial support, childcare, spouse job loss, death and illness of loved ones). Added to that is the fact that we have had to completely change the way we work, resulting in a significant increase in individual workload to get the same work done. The hospital still has to function. Money is EXTREMELY tight. I can’t get any additional resources. And my staff are drowning. How do I support my staff (and advocate for them) in a situation that seems impossible to manage?”

As we continue to adjust and reinvent how we lead and communicate in today’s new normal, we wanted to take a look at what content has been most popular among our readers. So in case you missed any posts, here’s the content others found most helpful in Q2.

10 Most-Read Blogs in Q2 2020

We were all a child once and now perhaps it is time to act like a child again.

That sage advice is not an exclusive thought. It originates from Mr. Fred Rogers, the same television personality who once advised us to look for the helpers in times of crisis. When you look for the helpers, you find hope. When you think, and act like a child, you find healing.

As leaders and communicators, we’re all working to be sensitive and empathetic so employees feel supported and stay engaged during these unprecedented times. Organizations are adjusting to situations in real time as they determine what the future of work looks like. 

To better understand the current environment facing you today, we want to ask you, “what’s keeping you up at night?”

While companies have come a long way in just a few weeks with video meetings, we all have much to learn about how to make video conferences more engaging and productive – and far less taxing for employees.

To help you on that path, we’ve compiled a quick list of the 11 most important tips and tricks to keep top of mind, compiled from our recent experience with clients and our decades conducting meetings of all types for leaders and teams.

In today’s world, we’re faced with a number of new challenges both in the workplace and at home – whether it’s our new working arrangements, impacts from COVID-19, looking inward as we shine a spotlight on societal issues, or something else – and our people need empathy.

As many of us are spending our days in virtual meetings, we’re realizing the energy drain from staring directly at our colleagues in two dimensions from just a few feet away. That typically wouldn’t be the case in face-to-face meetings where you naturally and easily follow the conversation much like you were watching a sing-along. The conversation is a little like a bouncing ball where you naturally move your head and attention to keep up with the dialogue. There are breaks – both literally and figuratively – in the conversation, which allow for a little recharge of the batteries or at least a few moments to take a breath, reflect, and regroup.

With so many changes happening in a short time stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and social crises, employers face important decisions on how to go forward in managing their teams and adapting for today’s realities. It’s a good time to look at where your business is now and apply what you’ve learned over the past several months. It’s also important to look at ways you are listening to and connecting with employees, and opportunities for greater focus on diversity and inclusion.

As many of you may have seen, we’ve shifted much of the content on our blog to focus on topics to help you lead and communicate through COVID-19. As the world of work continues to evolve, we’re committed to covering topics that are most helpful to you and making free tools, ebooks and blogs readily available.

It’s with that in mind, we’re excited to share our newly updated COVID-19 Leadership & Communication Resource Hub.