Brace for Re-Entry
As we seem to be heading back into workplaces in phases, the conversation in this week’s ‘Creative Sandbox’ was naturally full of lessons and learnings about what lies around the next bend in the road. What does the workplace of the future look like and feel like? What are the dos and don’ts? What should we prepare for as we head back out into the world?
Here is a list of 7 road signs that we could read, as we looked down the road to recovery.
1. Be prepared. Then prepare, prepare, prepare, some more.
Forewarned is forearmed was simple but powerful learning that came through clearly. Help employees get a clear picture of what to expect as they come back to a new and sanitized workplace, which is familiar but yet so unfamiliar at the same time. Varghese M. Thomas, VP and Global Head, Corporate Communications, TVS Motor Company said “We started operations at the plant about ten days back with about 100 people. There was a preparedness manual that was created. Every employee going back to work had to read it and sign it before getting back in. Right from the time, you leave your home, get into the bus, get to the factory, to the tea break and till you got back home a step by step process was documented and outlined for people to understand what to expect. This was made available in Kannada and Tamil as well. A letter went out to all staff telling them about the manual and those who were actually going to be heading into the workplace got a copy of the actual manual.”
Responsible communicators will continue to prepare for the next level of crisis. This is a smart approach, planning for the worst and hoping for the best, so that safety is the first lens through which we look at everything, which will build confidence and eventually lead to sales.
2. Brace for Re-Entry.
We were lucky to have another participant who had been back in the office for a few weeks. Let’s call him Mr Coldwater. He could give us a real peep into the future since he had been back in the office, along with a hand full of colleagues, before many of us. I asked him what it felt like on his first day out, and he said “It was like stepping into a freezing cold shower on a winter morning. The act of getting out was difficult, but once you get used to the water, things become better and you can actually feel invigorated at the end.” This is exactly how his first week seems to have gone. Started off on a difficult note, but as a race, humans are fantastic at adapting and by the end of the week he had a new routine. One with an always-on mask, hand sanitizer and device sanitizer rituals in place, discipline and care in the use of common areas like lifts and bathrooms all start to become just the way things are.
3. Be Careful not to get Careless.
He went on to share that the challenges of ‘week two’ were actually quite different. By now the novelty of being back in the office again had work off. His new worry was that all that care and effort on safety was starting to get a bit tedious and with familiarity, the danger of a slip loomed large.
We all know accidents happen when we take our eye off the road for a minute to look at a message on our mobile. Here in office it could be a minute when you took off your mask and left it on a common area that had not been sanitized. Putting rules in place is one thing. Following them and ensuring the entire team gets into the culture and habit of putting safety first is an altogether new challenge for us to navigate as we get back into workspaces. This discipline is what is going to ensure our continued safety as we get back to work.
4. Engaging online will continue to be a key driver.
Varghese was optimistic about the auto industry’s ability to innovate in the face of adversity “From an auto sector perspective there has been a huge disruption but it’s commendable to see how the industry has redefined the term engagement and embraced digital. WFH for a brick and mortar industry is something new to navigate. The role of communication at TVS has been critical in engaging with all stakeholders on a continual basis. At the same time there is a high risk of messages being misinterpreted. Connecting authentically is imperative.” He further added, “PR practitioners must stop all other communication such as pitches, brand-building and organizational chest-thumping, before jumping into COVID-19 related communication. This does not mean initiatives should be frozen. Business should continue, as far as possible, as usual. However, the focus of all communication should shift wholeheartedly to the well-being of employees, customers, partners and public safety. The underlying rule of all communication should be to avoid profiting from the pandemic”
He reiterated the need to drive confidence by doing two things, firstly keeping safety at the heart of the message and secondly finding ways to minimizing contact using Augmented Reality (AR) which he shared is a big effort underway. We all agreed that digital will continue to play a pivotal role and anticipate the virtual showroom will now take centre stage. In addition, the importance of owned channels and self-publishing online is bound to gather momentum.
5. Internal and partner communication races ahead.
We then touched upon the crucial role of employee and partner communication and engagement. The role of internal communications has been undervalued and the true power of internal communications is finally getting noticed and appreciated. An example of how important it is to get internal communications right, is illustrated by the challenge of finding eyeballs in the post Covid office space. All the notice boards and standard points of community congregation are now dead zones. Cafeteria, coffee machine and the toilets are no longer buzzing with activity. The new places to put a poster or a notice are 1. Near the big hand sanitizer bays where people go regularly to get a squirt and 2. At the check in point when there is a bit of a wait due to temperature checking. So the message is loud and clear - rethink internal communications at a fundamental level.
Varghese shared a few of the internal communications engagements that they were driving at TVS. For example, an Instagram master class series for customers, racing enthusiasts and employees by International riders, a Friday evening curated list of movies to watch and an ‘Artsy competition’ with a goodie bag for the winners. All designed to create a feeling of togetherness. Nikita Verma and Surabhi Udas from the TVS communications team agreed that engaging with the team every day and doing some fun stuff in addition to work really helped and that it was the high point of their day.
6. Collaboration and Co-Creation will gain importance.
Mrinall Dey, VP and Head of media strategy, Weber Shandwick shared his views on changes in media expectations “Collaboration and innovation is what media houses are expecting. Sharing new ideas and proactive content pieces are being appreciated, if it’s well researched and thought through” he also added a word of caution “Be mindful of their time and remember deadlines are becoming even tougher and tighter to work around.” Partnering with media to help companies learn from each other and share best practices on how to stay safe will be a critical part of storytelling.
7. There is no rule book, but there is one golden rule – build trust.
To wrap it up Varghese aptly said “This is a black swan event. Experience. Intuition and gut feel are back in play. There are no rule books or play books to refer to. This is a good time to rewrite many of the practices that we have been following for years. Avoid profiting from the pandemic. This is the time to build trust with stakeholders.”
