2 Important Tips for Remotivating Your Workforce EVERYONE STEPPED UP DURING THE CRISIS — WHAT NOW?
‘Space Law’ Are We Headed for the First War in Space?
Now that we’re close to entering a post-pandemic phase, many companies want to see business return to “normal,” or run the way it did before COVID-19. But after companies have endured many traumatic changes during lockdowns, how do we get back to “normal” again?
According to a Bain survey, over 65% of employees are worried that the pandemic-induced sense of urgency in their organizations will go away. Not all pre-pandemic attitudes will work in keeping your business effective. Luckily, HBR has been tracking more than 850 CEOs across 35 countries, and after analyzing hundreds of pandemic hero stories, they’ve found that an important part of the solution is creating a new culture that uplifts and empowers important voices. Here are a few steps to start moving in that direction. NO. 1: THINK BEYOND THE OLD ‘NORM.’ Businesses used to ensure productivity through hierarchical systems and micromanaging, but these methods tend to be slow and inflexible. It “drowns out” the voices of the customers and the frontline employees. Some of HBR’s most effective CEOs recognize an important fact: To run their business better, increase speed, and bolster trust, they need managers to get out of the way and give more freedom to the teams closest to their customers. John Santa Maria, CEO of Coca-Cola Femsa in Mexico, says, “What we learned to do is empower our teams to deliver but make sure we had enough creativity on the ground to adapt to rapid changes in the local markets due to COVID-19 and government response.” NO. 2: AMPLIFY (AND REWARD) YOUR COMPANY’S INNOVATORS. No matter the company size, many people have started to think like entrepreneurs by coming up with entirely new solutions and forming cross-functional teams to execute them during lockdown. They developed new, agile ways of working through adapting and testing. If you have a hero like this on your team, make sure the effort doesn’t go unrecognized or rewarded — these innovators might move on quicker than you’re prepared to lose them.
Earlier this year, Russia announced it would abandon its missions to the International Space Station in favor of a new, Russia-only station orbiting Earth. At the same time, China has begun working in earnest on its own permanent space installation, raining construction debris down on coastal Africa and other places. With private American interests gaining traction in orbit (and the confidence of our government), things are getting awfully crowded up there — and not by actors that typically play well together.
All of which begs the question: Will the 21st century see the first violent conflict in space?
We have to delve into “space law” (yes, it’s really called that) to understand this question. It started in the 1940s and ‘50s, when the USSR launch of Sputnik signaled a new ground for scientific competition in the Cold War, as well as fears of more direct, armed conflict. The landmark “Outer Space Treaty'' of 1967 was the response, and nations continued to deal with space concerns until the end of the century. The general principles were those of cooperation and goodwill, and that made sense in the 20th century, when it was unlikely any power would be able to seriously colonize stations in orbit or the moon itself, never mind other planets. But in the past 20 years, many countries have been unwilling to seriously commit to more specific agreements or laws. When you see the rapidly increasing presence many countries are seeking in orbit, you start to understand why. Nobody wants to hamstring themselves and compromise their interests when the resources of our solar system are made available through technology. Even though this may be a new arena, the problem is an old one. International Law — of which “space law” is a subset — is not typically enforceable and never has been. Private ventures, like those of Elon Musk, may face crackdown by their governments or the international community. But nations themselves will take what they want, when they want it — and right now, that could make peace on the final frontier a long shot in the 21st century.
We hope these tips help fortify your business as you prepare for your third quarter! Best of luck!
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