“Det g?r godt nok”.

(This article is a part of communication of research findings from the project on "Virtual Ledelse i Coronatiden" https://www.dhirubhai.net/groups/8928700/ )

It’s actually going okay.

By now in our research project (https://lnkd.in/e9hxsue) we have interviewed 12 companies, as well as several employers’ organizations. They all refer to the initial shock and the need to make lots of decisions in a short period of time. But ultimately we have all settled into this 'new normal.

Productivity also remains high. Most senior managers’ evaluation is that their companies are at 85-90% of productivity, and they believe that’s not that bad given the circumstances. Most of the companies still have large backlogs (buildup of work that needs to be completed). It may be that the produced products couldn’t be shipped to international customers and warehouses are getting filled up, but in general business continues. Some, e.g. Vink Plast, found new products and projects created by the new demands of the crisis. Even those who were completely closed, e.g. the Danish Design Museum, finally got time to advance on the digital projects that have been in their pipelines for some time.

Companies quickly realized that mental health is a priority. Leaders are good at moving closer emotionally via one-to-one hangouts and generally “keeping in touch” via coffee breaks, online games, wine tasting, etc. Many managers we interviewed regularly check in with their teams, some daily and some biweekly. They also understand that people are in different situations and have different needs. Our interviewees talked a great deal about the need to balance presence with absence.

“Some need more attention than others.”

Companies are also very much aware of the new meaning of work-life balance (e.g. working from home with small kids, home schooling, being in risk groups) and being flexible in their approaches. In all the companies we interviewed, senior managers realized the need for ongoing communications with their employees and were extremely good at it.

“We are trying to communicate as much as possible.”

But here is the question: How long can our organizations continue to function from the “adrenaline rush” brought by the shock of lockdown? One of our interviewees made an analogy with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by a combat stress reaction. Indeed, soldiers in combat may not even know they are running on adrenaline until they stop fighting. The initial shock from the lockdown resulted in a surge of stress hormones released into the “bloodstream” of our organizations. Our organizational “arteries” opened, we became extremely focused on surviving, sometimes without even noticing the wounds and trauma. A few companies we talked to mentioned that their top leadership teams became much more united, aligned and even better functioning.

“It’s almost like they got a new energy, new purpose, new chemistry.”

Team leaders talk about employees going the extra mile in their assignments, taking initiatives, sometimes outside of their “normal job duties”. The adrenaline rush has made our organizational hearts beat faster, increased blood flow to the brain and muscles, and stimulated all our senses. Just like in combat, organizations are running on adrenaline. Until they stop fighting that is.

Then comes the overwhelming feeling of euphoria – survivor euphoria. Everything slows down, energy drops, you lose focus.

So what happens next?

The psychologists tell us that acute stress disorder like PTSD is not fatal, but it may bring delayed stress reactions if not correctly addressed. Are we prepared to address it? How do we bring our people back? Are they wounded or traumatized? What do they need to move on? How do we keep up the energy? The psychologists tell us that to cope with traumatic experiences, we as humans need to understand what has happened to our body and our thinking. Continuing with this analogy, organizations need to educate themselves about the experience of lockdown, reflect, learn, and be prepared for the next combat. Among the companies we interviewed we can see that some are extremely aware of the importance of reflecting on the experience and are now already thinking about the best way to do it.

“Already by mid-April, we – section managers – were told to start discussing what lessons we can take away from the corona-crisis to the future.”

One thing for sure, the teams the leaders will meet on the 11th of May will be very different from the teams they waved goodbye to on the 11th of March.

 Published May 1, 2020.