The CEO Crisis Roadmap

How to Lead with Clarity Through the Coronavirus Pandemic

When I reach out to people and drill down to what really worries them, I frequently hear three questions:

1. Am I (are we) going to get through this?
2. How am I (are we) going to get through this?
3. How can I (can we) help others get through this?

What I’ve also discovered is that when people are in a state of dread (see: When Dread Becomes You), their minds constrict. That means it is very difficult to understand, learn and take action on anything that is the least complicated.

That may explain why the repeated message to all of us from our leaders is: wash your hands, don’t touch your face, social distance, stay at home.

How do you communicate to your people as a CEO, when their minds are constricted?

It needs to be simple, easily understood and doable by them and if you mention more than a few steps, they need to fit together in a lockstep manner. Fuzzy words like Vision, Mission, Values are too abstract for these times and instead of being inspired by them, people will fall through the cracks. What follows is what we refer to as the CEO Crisis Roadmap, because each step uses simple, normal, non-abstract words, and each step locks into the next step and reduces the wiggle room that creates those cracks that people fall through.

It is something that everyone connected with your company will understand and also explains what is expected of them and why. This will even help furloughed or laid off people if they share it with their next CEO. Clarity helps people feel more of a sense of control which lessens anxiety. Confusion does the exact opposite.

We hope it has that effect on everyone who reads this.

1: Assess Needs

For the majority of people in a company, the word “goal” is confusing and intimidating. That is why if you ask people their goals they often hem and haw or just throw out some number to get their boss off their back.

Not everyone has goals, but everyone has needs, especially now. And nearly all companies have three needs:

• To make or free up money — to pay for overhead, have a runway to develop disruptive products/services and deliver a return on investment. And of course in times like these, the way to make money or free up money is to cut costs including laying off employees.
• To consistently astonish and amaze and delight customers.
• To develop a team and fully engage employees to zealously commit to fulfilling the above and if you need to lay people off, to do it in a way that is the least painful, damaging and helps them make it through and past it.

2: Get Results

What results would fulfill the three needs above? If the company consistently astonishes customers and is very socially redeeming, that would satisfy all three needs. That’s because such enthusiastic customers will want to buy their products and employees will want to be part of a company that creates such excitement in customers.

If those results involve saving or freeing up money by laying people off, to do so in a way that gives those employees a path through it (for example, check out: How to Talk to Your People about Laying them Off or Furloughing Them).

To do that, the results must trigger these ‘Whoa!’ ‘Wow!’ and ‘Hmm… Yes!’ reactions in employees, customers, clients and investors. For instance, with regard to the Covid-19 crisis in NYC, it seems that New Yorkers will forever be grateful to Governor Andrew Cuomo for his daily updates, briefs and spare no cost or action to save NYC and the state and then help other states as the pandemic filters into their region.

How can you as a CEO emulate Governor Cuomo to have a similar effect of your being in charge to your people?

3: Make a Plan

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A final word: Just because you're afraid doesn't necessarily mean you're in danger, but our minds when feeling afraid our minds will often attach to things to explain it rather than feel "free floating anxiety" which can make your mind really go off the rails.

The most underused coping mechanism to get through an intolerable situation, is to tolerate it.

We will all get through this and it will just be another case of living with life never being the same again. It doesn't mean our lives are over. We did that with 9/11 and many of you have done that after being diagnosed with cancer, going through divorce, bankruptcy, etc.

BTW as part of our commitment to helping CEOs and owners get through this, Dr. Goulston is offering a free one hour zoom call - with no obligations and no upsell - to them to discuss their situation. In crises we believe that true servant leadership is about helping those who are reaching out to you and honoring their trust as opposed to focusing only on those who can pay you. Contact us either via LinkedIn or at: https://markgoulston.com/contact/. You may also find the content we are putting out regularly at: https://markgoulston.com/blog/.