So here we stand at the end of 2020 with two major sea-changes in the business environment, crashing to the shore together.
2020 has been the year of Coronavirus and all that it has meant for our SMEs and their people.
2021 will hopefully see a reducing in impact on business, although there is still plenty to work its way through as we face various levels of restriction on day-to-day life and business, vaccinations and possibly some return to normal business ways of working.
The other mountain to climb this year will be Brexit.
What this means for our SME sector is still largely unknown, and we know that confusion is damaging for business. 2020 and Covid-19 showed us that with any change, there will likely be some winners and some losers, and we expect Brexit to be no different. We will, of course, all be hoping for a soft landing!
What we do already know is that change in the external world is inevitable and hard to control. So how can we ensure it is a make or a break for our own businesses? Here some tips for how you might think about this in context of your people:
- The full picture emerges gradually. How can you take uncertainty and inspire your staff to work with it – or even embrace it? The first question people want to know is what does the change mean for them? They will appreciate honesty even if you don’t have the full answer, so do consider your communication channels and frequency.
- Resilience is key, both at an individual element (let’s focus on recruiting for this as well as for essential knowledge and qualifications) and an organisational level. If your key player goes down, who else can step in? Have you considered Succession Planning, and training the next generation to take over in years to come?
- Deal with staff issues quickly, because leaving them rarely makes them resolve by themselves; more often than not, issues will fester and escalate if neglected. With a fast change year ahead, who needs to be spending oodles of time unpicking unhappiness fermented over time?
- There are some wonderful candidates in the job market right now, and excellent reasons to join a small business. Where else will people see so much breadth in their chosen field of work? Enabling them to hit the ground running is key, so spend real focus on how you share your business with them and what you need them to deliver. Is KickStart an idea for you? You may also face losing some of your team members in 2021, as 2020 has made many people re-evaluate career or job choices, such as the length of their usual commute to the office. Is it time to restructure your teams, become a leaner and laterally skilled workforce?
- Recognise that there has been a lot of damage for people in 2020 and this has impacted many people’s mental health. Checking in with your team is a good idea and thinking about how you can help them recover. An EAP programme will likely costs less than you think and has been an essential support service for many over 2020.
- Communication really is key. 2020 has shown us that we all do see the world slightly differently and work means something different for everyone, but talking and listening to your staff really can go a long way. Remote working has been essential in 2020 for many, but what does it mean for how connected your people feel to your business in 2021? Don’t throw away all your office space but do think about ongoing blended working. Why not ask your people what has worked well and what they would change?
The SME sector is stuffed full of creative and resilient businesses that know they cannot survive without their people being inspired by what they exist to do. We work with many of them, in all types of different industries, so if this rings a bell with you, please do get in touch to see how we could work with you too.
