COVID-19 pandemic may be the biggest change we will experience in our lifetimes:  Inability to work, unemployment, economic upheaval and social distancing.  The impact of this change cuts all socioeconomic classes, races and does not discriminate.  How will this pandemic affect organizations across industries most important asset, human capital, and what can organizational leaders do to navigate through the change?

U.S. jobless claims hit 6.6 million (U.S. Department of Labor, Thursday, April 9, 2020).  Organizations and senior leadership teams are making difficult decisions that impact their people, which ultimately affects customers.  Some industries are experiencing a slow or complete halt of business; employees are furloughed or let-go in many industries.

During this period of unrest and unpredictability, I have reflected back on my experience with Organizational Change as a practitioner.  Over twenty years ago, I developed Change Management methodologies and had the privilege to work and study with thought leaders such as Chris Argyris and William Bridges.  I closely studied William Bridges Transitions Model which addresses reactions to change and refer to it often with clients.  This Model serves as a critical guide as we address personal and organizational impacts of the current pandemic.

There are three stages that William Bridges references, the initial stage being “endings” and “letting go” of how things were pre-pandemic - there is uncertainty and fear and emotional upheaval as well as letting go of the status quo.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that as we continue social distancing in the United States, we will flatten the curve of infections and get to the other side of this pandemic. (WHO, March 2020)  How do we handle the “endings” and “neutral” phase prior to reaching “new beginnings”, as leaders of organizations and as employees?

Acknowledgement of our own thoughts and feelings during this pandemic is critical, as noted in William Bridges Transitions model.  Fear, anxiety and loss of control are feelings we all share.  Although this is a transitionary ending, we are changing the way we work and interact with all communities around us including fellow colleagues.  Human interaction has been replaced with Zoom calls, Microsoft Teams and remote workplace connectivity.  Maintaining technological means and communication channels is crucial to staying connected.

Edgar Schein, MIT professor, another key thought leader in the Organizational Change field has coined the term “Humble Inquiry and Leadership”.

Humble leadership at all levels and in all working groups will be the key to achieving the adaptiveness and agility required at this time.  Leaders and managers should become more personal in order to ensure open and trusting communication during the global pandemic we are currently experiencing.  Emphasis on communications and messaging is critical during the “neutral phase”.

I encourage organizational leaders to ramp up communications and share their own stories of coping with key stakeholders:

• Develop two-way remote communication channels with frequent and honest dialogue. Communicate the state of the business with customers and employees
• Acknowledge not knowing when we will get back to the “new normal” post-pandemic and reassure them that you will continue to partner with them
• Empower managers to conduct empathetic check-in sessions with customers, team members and staff

As employers, there are many questions facing organizations that are impacted by the pandemic.  There will be “new beginnings” as we charter from the “neutral zone”, but what can be done now?

Examine areas impacting human capital including communications, technology and distance learning.  Service, retail and hospitality industries alike may have had to examine their employee base.  Whether you have retained employees or will need to hire new ones, the most important aspect is to train and train with speed.  Will your organization need to ramp up technology to deliver distance learning?  Will you have to consider documenting processes and update or re-write policies and procedures for working remotely? Is there a requirement to automate the on-boarding process for new employees?

Some manufacturing industries have reluctantly decided or been forced to furlough or lay-off employees; restructuring these organizations may be a necessity.  Reviewing organizational structures and cross training and re-training human capital will be required.

Work with Informational Technology leaders to conduct gap assessments reviewing hardware, software and Cloud capabilities that support employees and customers.  This will be crucial so that the organization is responsive and supportive during the “neutral phase” and ready to operate in the post-pandemic environment.

Many organizations may have to potentially consider a rotationary workforce.  How does this impact current business operations and hiring criteria?   What skillsets will employees need or will you need to re-tool your existing workforce?

Both the private and public sector are stepping up and utilizing their resources and networks to improve the availability of supplies for front-line workers.  For these organizations, cross training their workforce and reworking their production lines has become an immediate necessity and they have swiftly reacted.  What does this mean for the future of their workforce and their business model?

As we navigate through uncertain times through the COVID-19 pandemic, Organizational Change and Human Resource practitioners will partner with business leaders to assess impact on organizations most important asset: human capital.  As we make our way through the “neutral zone” let’s collectively communicate, empathize and have faith to look forward to “new beginnings”.