6 Cs to manage a fractured team in the age of Coronavirus

In the last 2 days I've spoken to several clients who are dusting off (or creating) business continuity plans in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic. Often that means fracturing teams to operate from two or more locations. People are either being asked to work from home or from a location which they’re not used to.

This can add to the already high levels of fear and mental and emotional stress, which can lead to productivity losses, disengagement and performance issues.

Here are 6 Cs that can help you through this very challenging time.

Calm

People need a calm, steady hand during chaotic times (and rightly or wrongly these times are certainly chaotic. Even if you don't feel calm project calm to your team.

Clarity

Provide clarity around expectations and workloads under these new arrangements. Work can actually be a grounding force. Give your team something tangible to focus and help them be productive.

Certainty

Give them as much certainty as you can. Keep up with the government guidelines. Stick to the facts. Tell them what you know when you know it.

Communication

Communicate often and face to face (via Skype or the like). This can be a real sense of reassurance - especially if they are isolated and working from home.

Connection/Community (2 Cs for the price of 1!) :)

Hold team meetings more frequently than you would normally. Have them work together on projects. If possible, develop an "us against the virus - we won't let this beat us" mentality.

Cybersecurity

I woke up this morning with the thought..."this is going to be a field day for hackers! As more people work from home companies' computer systems will be more vulnerable than ever." And sure enough - at by 10:30 I was speaking with a client who had to deal with a Ransomware attack on Monday that shut one of their companies down.

These might be chaotic times, but they will pass. We will get back to normal. Hopefully these 6 Cs will help you through.