At first glance, these comments seem to be business leaders in the current new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID - 19) outbreak to express their feelings.But in fact, these are the executives in the past 25 years in three major crisis: the Asian financial crisis of 1997, 2003, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) crisis, as well as the global financial crisis in 2008.These crises test is the leader of the difficulty, the populace, and ability to make a comeback.In order to draw lessons from the experience of past crises, egon zehnder's advisers and firsthand experience of several major crisis China many executives conducted interviews.We asked the executives from several industries to share their feelings and deal with experience at that time, and now is fighting propose new crown pneumonia outbreak of enterprise leaders.
It will put its employees' safety crisis management of the highest priority
Led enterprise survive the SARS outbreak of executives questioned pointed out that the most important thing is to employee health, safety and well-being of the first.A global hotel chain group's leader, said: "we should care more about each company is the most important assets, namely the staff's personal safety, and then to worry about the damage epidemics and financial profit and loss."
One way to ensure employees' safety is outside the standard employee benefits plan to provide additional support.Some consumer goods companies in the Asia Pacific chief executive officer (CEO), said the company will provide three new crown pneumonia infection, and the medical insurance scheme can only pay employees should bear the cost of additional medical costs.Another enterprise in a crisis in the past although had to 25000 employees unpaid leave, but the enterprise financial situation improved immediately after the unpaid leave period of remuneration paid to employees.
Business leaders should strive to build a peaceful and stable atmosphere.A global supply chain and logistics enterprises, managing director of pointed out: "the most important thing is keep the content of discussion focus on the objective facts and data.Once the subjective speculation of irrational behavior and panic."Another personnel intensive enterprise executives also to need to make sure that security has a resonance."My first priority is to ensure that the team stable.I have an employee has been confirmed to be infected by the new crown pneumonia, "he said," but I can't keep the team feel panic.I was with the management team, with the relevant government departments to work together, to ensure the team stable."
In order to bring staff a sense of security, the leader should be with the team.An experienced a financial crisis and the SARS outbreak of executives said the young members of the team and have never experienced the crisis directly cooperation, is an important step to make them feel safe.He said: "I also is in the front, so that the front-line team will feel comfortable."
In addition, the leadership team at a critical moment to show in China and the promise of this crisis, can let employees encouraged.Led some large multinational logistics service enterprise through the SARS crisis, a former CEO (the foreign executives has the family moved to China), said during the crisis, the entire leadership team to stay in China.He said: "the employees see my family back to China, including my wife and young children, see me and the team together in China's efforts to combat the disease, the practice let everybody more unity is also more confident."
Look for opportunities in the crisis
Maximizing the interests of future means looking for opportunities in the chaos.One executive said, during the SARS outbreak, the company in Hong Kong is a professional business to improve environmental health increased by 400%.He pointed out that because of the new champions league pneumonia outbreak and strengthen health monitoring requirements, company may usher in another growth."The opportunity is very important, because people worry that the virus first, then worry about their job security," he explained, "and my job is to ensure their safety as soon as possible."Equally important, the outbreak of the impact of the business will lead to overcapacity situation, this company need to be flexible to cope.Executives will be tested in this break the routine to creative thinking to redeploy the ability of enterprise assets and resources.
A crisis is also a chance to discover talents, especially those who are under pressure to explore forward and outstanding staff.A former aviation CEO said: "I will use the crisis to see clearly who is the only available, their performance under the crisis would it be possible for me to trust the task entrusted to them to perform in the future.In this difficult period, eq and IQ combination will stand out."
Talent management in the "danger" and "machine"
When egon zehnder in interview and evaluate talents, our concern is not they do "what", but "how" they do.In the real work of behavior and personality traits is the best predictor of executive ability to future.Is often under the pressure and crisis situation, we have a chance to individual's ability to have a more direct and deeper understanding.
In our work, we use the model for evaluating the potential of one of the tools is egon zehnder, focus on the model development and the development speed of executive ability.We think the four potential factors of potential model is especially has practical significance for the current crisis, is a help to self-reflection and inspection staff members in key position (especially management) framework tool.Past performance and current capacity does not guarantee a person on the change of environment, such as the crisis) can achieve sustainable success.Using the outbreak of the crisis found true potential employees, and make it become to prepare them for the challenges of the future new positions of an opportunity.
Potential four elements respectively curiosity, insight, charisma and willpower.
- Thirst for knowledge: I have a highly intellectual curiosity for new experiences, new ideas and new knowledge.They actively seek feedback and adjust accordingly.Their intelligence and personal progress, and spirits.
When you try to cope with the crisis, please think about how you think about the unknown, how to seek information, will let the people around to give feedback for you to deal with the crisis.Again, observe the people around how to use the curiosity to play their own advantages, so that we can help you determine for the future development of valuable talents. - insight: a man of great insight is good at information collecting and combing ramifications, change yourself and other people's old ideas, and indicates a new direction.They can in the concept of macro level and detailed micro data analysis freely switch between the two kinds of mode of thinking.This means that they are not only good at insight into new wisdom, can also be used.
The absence of complete information and the influence of the future unpredictability would be all of us at the end of the new champions league pneumonia during the outbreak and epidemic of facing reality.In the face of many uncertain factors, how to flexibly and effectively insight will become the people around you and challenge.Promote open communication and the ability to discuss will be your an important tool. - charisma: I have a strong charisma to know how to from the perspective of emotion and logic to communicate with others, is not only a one-to-one, one-to-many.They can convey a convincing vision, personal and emotional connection between the organization and leadership.They reveal a self-knowledge and empathy, good at career enthusiasm to motivate others.
We think that in times of crisis, charisma for executives is likely to be one of the most important potential factors.Uncertainty can lead to anxiety, if executives can show empathy and convey it vision, can by stimulating employees emotional power to achieve better performance. - willpower: I have strong willpower is a series of characteristics: can risk be prepared of courage and will, in the face of difficulty indomitable perseverance, and to major setbacks or obstacles from the Middle East, the mountain again.At the same time, determined people will continuously self-reflection, when necessary, also can adjust or change direction.
In the process of our efforts through the crisis, many leaders are taking "touch stone across the river".Now are more important than ever that can let everybody unity under the weight of the leader.
In addition, the enterprise also can use this period of time, the external set up its own brand image, many companies are to achieve this goal by giving back to the society.A pharmaceutical company, a senior executive said: "we organized around 3 million yuan the epidemic area of donations, the money not only from the current staff, also included former executives have left."To give back to society is admirable, but the enterprise also should pay attention to avoid too much commercial utility color, be sure to reward motivation is pure, not just a means of building brand.Some solar technology enterprise CEO warns: "don't use too much hype donations to pile personal pride."
Contingency plans ready for the next crisis
Although not every crisis can be foreseen that public health hazards (prediction is more difficult than predicted trade war), but many executives questioned said they were aware of the existing emergency plan is not careful thorough as the imagination."We should do more perfect for more complex situation," in leading enterprises during the period of SARS, some executives said, "we took too long to get things straighten out."
The main part of the emergency plan is the financial stability.A former aviation CEO, said in what they experience the several times of crisis, his company to do a thing to do is to establish a "wartime fund".He said: "when we collected all the financial reserve resources, such as issuing bonds, credit lines and so on, such a problem when we have resources to deal with."
Another executive said the leaders will be paranoid for a rainy day as a means of better disaster preparedness.His advice: "think of black swans, more think more about situation, resources planning, building security system, and training managers how to speak to the media."
Maintain open communication with all parties
All executives stressed that in times of crisis often need to communicate.Even in the new crown pneumonia outbreak situation, running around talking to everyone in the office, or you face to face all the meeting is not feasible, but there is too much of the available communication tool, such as WeChat and other social media.Pointed out, an executive at one of the most important is "in the message to your staff to quickly, accurate and credible, so as not to let employees feel panic, or let them receive conflict or error message."
The timing of communication is also very important.Some global supply chain and logistics enterprise's managing director, said: "to establish reasonable communication mechanism is very important, so that you can let your staff to make energy to focus on the task at hand.Reasonable communication mechanism can avoid a lot of information inquiries drag on key business."
For multinational companies, leaders must also consider how to communicate with global headquarters.China is the key and communication between the headquarters can't let employees feel isolated, and truthfully describe the true disease resistance line.
Together,
In the new crown pneumonia outbreak, China shows since the wenchuan earthquake in 2008 rare unity of the spirit of unity is strength.When employees in their presence, or telecommuting, the focus of the whole society has focused on those who struggled to control the outbreak of intrepid medical workers, soldiers and volunteers.One executive says: "don't forget that we live in this society, work, and get the profits, but this society is now under incredible pressure."Several executives advice, try to do an own strength to fight outbreak, also is to have a sense of responsibility of corporate citizenship.
An experienced the wenchuan earthquake, global hotel group leader said, for staff, after a disaster of a positive impact is that they can build stronger emotional connection with the company.He said: "for the common mission and work together, this improved morale.We provide employees feedback efforts have a profound impact to employees' positive attitude, they saw our company commitment to the China business."
Although the new crown pneumonia outbreak may not yet be over, how big is the influence of the outbreak will also hard to predict, but business leaders must actively using this outbreak to turn "crisis" as the "machine", to help them to prepare for the future trouble.A former CEO well said: "don't waste a crisis of opportunity.Positive sum up experience, regrouped, build system, and to give back to society!"
