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COVID-19 Black Swan

By Josh Williams, Ph.D. We are beginning to see early signs of forward progress with COVID-19. Certain drugs designed to improve recovery with this disease are showing promise. In the coming weeks and months, organizations will be opening up their operations beyond virtual connections. Even when it appears work is becoming closer to “normal,” it’s important to remember that many people won’t be. We are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress as people worry about loved ones, job security, and an uncertain future. It is unrealistic to assume that employees will be “back to normal” as operations resume. Stress and fatigue take a powerful,

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By Eric Johnson Option planning in normal times is never an easy task, so in times of a worldwide pandemic, it is acutely troublesome.  In general, individuals are always hesitant to make predictions; when they are right, it is business as usual, when they are wrong, drastic consequences can arise and can potentially ruin reputations.  That being said, future prediction is essential to every business as it required to move forward and have goods and services at the ready to meet customer demand. Simply put, we are forecasting; selecting the most advantageous options out of a pool of larger options within the capabilities of

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By Eric Johnson As the pandemic continues to require social distancing and other methods of transmission reduction, those businesses deemed essential by state and local governments will continue to serve the public and remain open to provide goods and services.  We discussed supply chain impacts in previous posts.  One of the key differentiators of essential businesses is the maintenance of demand for products and services, despite the shift in specific product categories or services.  Here we discuss some overall principles for trying to maintain a somewhat sustainable environment in this new normal. If you are unsure where to start, utilize OSHA or Industry Standard COVID-19 protocols

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By Josh Williams, Ph.D. The following model was forwarded to me by a colleague and it’s an excellent way to visualize our collective responses during COVID-19. The diagram is divided into different zones which represent our response to this terrible pandemic. This includes the fear zone, learning zone, and growth zone with the objective of moving towards the growth zone as best we can. Doing so helps ourselves and others during this time of crisis. The Fear Zone We’ve all likely been in the fear zone at various points of this pandemic. In the fear zone, people are anxious, edgy, and may “transmit” negative emotions

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By Madison Hanscom, Ph.D. Great leaders do not act like they are the smartest person in the room. They know the value of a team effort, and they value insight from everyone. Regardless of where employees fall in the hierarchy, it is important to get everyone thinking and speaking. This is particularly important during a time of uncertainty or crisis, when workplaces are constantly adapting to the changing environment. People will remember how leaders respond during a time of turbulence, and this includes whether employees feel safe to speak up without negative consequences. This is required if the goal is to

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By Josh Williams, Ph.D.“You’ve got to learn to listen…and listen to learn.” – Joey RamoneConventional wisdom when trying to quickly diagnose safety culture is to go and ask people doing the work what is working well and what needs improvement. Front-line employees may not have access to information and pressures at the executive level. However, they do have a pulse on safety culture at the ground level. Unfortunately, many leaders at executive and front-line level roles simply don’t have the time, or make the time, to get out in the field and engage with employees. In some situations, personal schedules need

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