Leading Through Times of Crisis

It’s hard to believe how much the world has changed over the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is during times like these when great leaders rise to the challenge, radiating confidence, maintaining a clear head for decision making, communicating, and illustrating empathy for both customers and employees.

Gallup recently released a study on the worries, fears, and confidence people have had during some of the major ‘crisis events’ over the past 80 years – including the Great Depression, World War II, and the attacks on September 11 th . They added the COVID-19 pandemic to the study, and the results showed one thing was crystal clear: people always look to leadership to provide confidence that there is a path forward that they can actively participate in to feel productive.

When times are changing rapidly (as with the COVID-19 pandemic), leaders must be adaptable to new ways of doing business to keep the company running and employees working. A great example comes from NHLA member, Jon Syre, with Cascade Hardwood LLC. Jon says, “At Cascade, we have a clear plan of action for COVID-19, but the plan seems to change daily as new information comes in, or best practices are adjusted. We discuss said plan constantly and adjust accordingly to keep the crew safe and mills operational.” of their leaders. These needs are especially urgent during a crisis because people are anxious and scared as to what their future looks like when it comes to job security. A great leader can soothe their troubles and ensure that everyone knows what their role is with the company and how to continue operations.

Communication is key to meeting the needs of trust and hope. Great leaders make it a point to communicate with their staff regularly. Fear

“At Cascade, we have a clear plan of action for COVID-19, but the plan seems to change daily as new information comes in, or best practices are adjusted.”

of the unknown spreads like wildfire at every business. A leader who keeps their team updated on business decisions and takes the time to express why these decisions are being made earns respect from employees, calms fears, and allows them to concentrate on work. Communication should not be limited to the upper echelon of management; it should be open and transparent to all employees.

Deonn DeFord is the Product Manager for Ganahl Lumber Company, which has 10 retail locations in California. His communication must reach both employees and customers. To do this,

“Leadership is about focusing. Forget about yourself. Focus on relationships. As situations change rapidly, focus on solving challenges one by one. Try to be the calm voice of reason.”

Left to Right: Yellow tape, safety cones and signs help employees remain at least 6-feet apart at Ganahl Lumber. Social distancing marks on the mill floor at Cascade Hardwood Group to ensure employees were maintaining social distancing.

he uses an email newsletter to communicate, saying, “Our internal company E-newsletter, “Woodstock” comes out every other week and we have lots of information in there. We have also produced signs and distributed them throughout our stores to communicate effectively with employees and customers.”

While the head of the company must communicate with the workforce, the most crucial person workers need to hear from is their direct manager. Managers and supervisors fill their staff’s needs of compassion and stability since they are acutely aware of the individual circumstances for each member of their team. Supervisors should make it a point to keep their department informed, explaining how the company is handling the situation, how it affects each of them, what it means to their job security, and how they fit into the bigger picture of the company. An effective leader will let their employees know what their expectations are as you maneuver through a crisis. Cascade Hardwood also uses a variety of methods to keep the crews informed including “email, posted notices and quick small socially distanced huddles.” According to Rob Cabral at UCS Forest Group they are “fortunate to have an exceptional marketing department who send out daily updates as well as posting on our internal web portal. We also have scheduled short daily meetings at all levels of the business to discuss new developments and progress.”

A Gallup meta-analysis found that during stressful times, it is especially important for managers to keep it simple by reviewing what each employee does and modifying their responsibilities in a manner that allows them to leverage their strengths under new circumstances.

Empathy is particularly important in times of crisis as well. Each employee has unique needs, and you should do your best to accommodate them (within reason). Forbes recently published an article,

“Focus on Trust: Successful Leadership in Times of Crisis,” in which they say that great leaders invest in their staff in difficult times, “It is the right thing to do. And once things return to normal, those workers’ experiences will only make them more valuable to the team.”

Syre continued, saying, “Compassion is so important right now. Compassion for the families that make up the employees at Cascade and others in the community. We have identified what our employee’s needs are individually and done everything we can for them. This shows our crew that we are here to help. It also builds friendships and loyalty through the crew and enforces the peer pressure between employees not to take advantage of the situation. This is a delicate situation for many families. Financially and emotionally, families are stressed and frightened. Showing compassion and leadership helps to calm some of the stress. Work can be a steady and calm place as we undergo new changes in everyday life. We are trying to be a place that provides employees with some regularity and echoes of stability from the past.”

It is during times of unpredictability that employees judge how much their company values them based on the four universal needs. In fact, there is a popular meme making the rounds on social media lately that states, “Closely watch how companies treat their employees during this time. It speaks volumes as to their core ethics.” Bottom line: your employees are paying attention.

Rob Cabral says it best, “Leadership is about focusing. Forget about yourself. Focus on relationships. As situations change rapidly, focus on solving challenges one by one. Try to be the calm voice of reason.”

Gallup recently performed a leadership audit. They surveyed U.S. employees across all job sectors regarding how they feel about the decisions and behavior of their leaders during this pandemic. The results are interesting.

• 39 percent strongly agree that their employer has communicated a clear plan of action in response to COVID-19.

• 54 percent said they feel well-prepared to do their work during this time.

• 48 percent said that their immediate supervisor has kept them informed about what is going on at their company

• 45 percent agree that their organization cares about their overall wellbeing. Even though the virus is causing limitations, it is also showing the importance of the hardwood industry when it comes to health and safety. The industry plays a vital role in the creation of:

• Wood Pulp for producing toilet paper and other paper product • Wood fibers for the production of medical masks and surgical gowns • Wooden Pallets for transporting goods. • Packaging for home-deliveries of needed supplies and groceries • Wood biofuels for power production • Railroad Ties for transporting goods across the continent • Wood Cells for cleaning materials like sponges • Wood chips for fuel, farming, cooking, and more

Rich Solano, with Pike Lumber, leaves us with hope for the future, saying, “Our company was founded in 1904. Through major events such as the great depression mill fires, and even the great recession of 2009, we have never laid off our workforce. This challenge is no different. As a company, we will sacrifice profits to keep the families that depend on us for their livelihoods employed. Well trained employees are hard to come by. We believe we have the best men and women in the industry producing Pike Brand Hardwoods . . . and we aim to keep them!” We are all in this together!

SOURCES:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/347433

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhall/2020/03/22/focus-on-trustsuccessful-leadership-in-times-of-crisis/#46b5537c67b

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/297497/covid-employees-needleaders-right.aspx

https://www.cfo.com/leadership/2020/03/crisis-management-the-overlooked-leadership-skill/

While these results are not terrible, they aren’t exactly stellar. Each of the survey questions can be improved by focusing on the four essential needs mentioned earlier: trust, compassion, stability, and hope.

https://www.bcg.com/en-us/featured-insights/coronavirus.aspx

https://www.walb.com/2020/03/26/georgia-forestry-commission-helps-deliver-critical-medical-supplies-health-care-facilities/