O P I N I O N
We can all make it through this
A s I write this, the COVID-19 virus is making its way through the country probably more quickly than we realize. Businesses of all types are reeling, with many being closed completely right now. Ohio just announced they are closing all bars and restaurants. Schools are closed. Universities have ended class gatherings and are moving online. And A/E firms are still trying to function with most or all people working from home and projects going on hold daily. Not to mention the fact that the illness and death projections are beyond scary, with us older folks being particularly vulnerable to and affected by the disease. It’s a bad time – and not just here. It is happening worldwide. “Whether or not our businesses survive is going to be up to our response to the problem as leaders. It won’t be easy, but this, too, shall eventually pass.” Mark Zweig
So what will YOU be doing about it? As bad as it is, this virus could actually force us to make some real changes in how we do things. We travel too much, we have too many meetings, we need to do a better job managing remote workers – many of the ways we do things just aren’t very efficient. The important thing is to not wait too long to start! The sooner you act the longer you will be able to survive a downturn. And it could be a pretty big one – at least for a while. We can all make it through this. While every company’s financial situation is different, here are
some things I would advise every company owner to do: 1)No firm will be able to achieve its long-term potential without first surviving. This message has to be communicated to all employees. Whatever you do as leaders you are now going to have to communicate more with your people than you ever have before. A daily email from the CEO on the firm’s financial status and actions being taken to deal with the coronavirus situation may well be in order. People are fearful. Information will help alleviate fears.
See MARK ZWEIG, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER March 23, 2020, ISSUE 1337
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