This past year has been defined by one prominent word – unprecedented. While many of us are sick of hearing it, there’s no doubt in arguing the accuracy of it. We are, whether we like it or not, living in unprecedented times. With each phase of the pandemic, our people, businesses, families, and decision-makers have to wade through unknown waters, making choices with unknown outcomes. This is stressful and scary, as we have always had previous history or experiences to rely on for guidance. Without this guidance, effective leadership has become more important than ever before. As business leaders, we owe it to our employees, friends, and families to continue doing our absolute best.
Actively listen:
Everyone feels stress in some capacity, which is understandable and unavoidable during a pandemic. Learning to adapt to constant changes means that leaders need to be listening for feedback from their team members. Working in hospitality, we have had to make several changes to continue operations. From introducing new meal kit options to offering direct liquor delivery, we have managed to continue our employment opportunities, while also keeping existing employees on the payroll. Making sure that these changes also benefited our team members has always been a top priority. By providing opportunities, listening to feedback, and making appropriate changes, we have managed to pivot in the best interest of the company, and more importantly – our people!
Your Choices Affect Everyone:
Making choices that are in the interest of your team is crucial. As a leader, we need to reflect on the fact that how we act now can directly impact the lives and livelihood of our team members down the road. By staying on the pulse of the industry and making reactive choices to the ongoing changes of the pandemic, we have been able to retain a large portion of our team and even recruit new staff. In some instances, making hard choices now will better your ability to help out your team in the long-run. Leaders must think big picture and make plans based on the long-game.
Support Your Community:
If you are in a place to do so, providing a helping hand to other businesses and individuals in your community can be a huge contribution to someone else. During the past year, we have been fortunate enough to help fellow small businesses, who have always done the same for us in the past. In my own opinion, leading is about more than maintaining profit and sales during a challenging time, it’s about making a difference in the lives of as many people as possible. To help our local businesses during closures, our team volunteered many of our spaces, parking lots, and resources as a way to give other businesses a place to sell their products. Supporting those in need has allowed us to build our network and create a stronger community.