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Operational Performance

By Madison Hanscom, PhD Introducing telework into a culture that does not support flexible work arrangements can set up a business for failure. It is important to deeply consider culture before, during, and after changes to the company that involve employees working from home. If the attitude is that telework is not going to succeed - it will not. A company’s culture is composed of the beliefs, assumptions, norms, and core values that the members hold (1). Norms and assumptions run deep, and they are all around (staying at your desk late to symbolize commitment to the boss, how long to

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By Madison Hanscom, Ph.D.Whether you have already been working in a remote environment or you are new to world of virtual meetings as a result of COVID-19, it is always a good idea to check in to reflect on the effectiveness of meetings. At Propulo, we have been holding virtual meetings long before the pandemic, and here are some ideas from our desk to yours: Don’t forget the interpersonal touches  Sometimes it can be difficult to engage with employees or coworkers in the same way you would face-to-face through a video platform. When you are not in the same room as

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By Eric Johnson What happens once a crisis is over?  Do you go back to normal?  What are the expectations of management?  Employees? Customers?  Harvard Business School magazine penned a crisis management article years ago that outlined a process for crisis managers in organizations to best deal with issues that affect the organization holistically and that are a part of the public domain.  It was an operating plan that discussed scenario planning, triggering events, actions and responses, and a number of other elements specific to dealing with the issue at hand.  Additionally, it established a control and command component to centralize decision-making and messaging with a defined org. structure

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By Eric Johnson As sustainability takes the place of panic within the current pandemic, many organizations we have engaged with have asked what will things look like over the next year and beyond. As the pandemic curves flatten out and organizations get back to business, a new normal is settling in that will change the way business will be conducted across every industry. From shifting consumer demand to erosion of business due to customer lost income, the landscape for developing a new normal means developing a system for meeting presumed expectations consistently. Conduct a thorough evaluation of your products and production, with a focus on

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By Madison Hanscom, PhD In previous blogs, we have discussed the benefits companies can experience from Flex Work arrangements (1). Because flexible work requires less commuting and office space, this also has positive implications for the environment. This is because there is an associated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (2). There are clear benefits to businesses and the environment, but how about individuals? Although some individuals experience negative components of remote work, such as loneliness (see our blog post on common challenges associated with Flex Work, (3)), there are many positive outcomes employees can enjoy from Flex Work. According to researchers, telework

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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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