Even during a crisis or emergency, you have to keep your organization working. Here are six tips to keep work on track and workers focused, engaged, and connected:
- Develop an emergency communication plan. This should detail how employees will keep in touch with their employer, colleagues, and others in the event of an emergency. Address various scenarios and what will happen in those situations. The plan should include contingencies for how you will communicate if, for example, wifi or phone lines are down.
- Assign tasks ahead of time. Don’t wait until a crisis to determine who will do what. Coordinate your response team is advance, and make sure all team members knowstheir roles and responsibilities and have the tools and information they need.
- Be flexible and understanding. While you need clearly defined plans, processes, and protocols, it is important to be flexible. Disasters can be stressful and challenging for everyone. Don’t set rigid or unrealistic standards that some employees will be unable to meet.
- Conduct emergency drills. Consider scheduling one per quarter. These don’t have to take all day, but they should be designed to help identify what policies or processes may need to be updated or revised.
- Evaluate your organization’s technology. Do you have enough laptops and/or tablets for people who will need to work offsite? How will your cybersecurity efforts function in an emergency? Where are there weaknesses or gaps that need to be addressed?
- Lift employees’ spirits. Work to strengthen emotional ties with workers. Find out and address needs or concerns they have. Look for ways to unite them such as raising money for families affected, etc.
