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By the end of this article, executives, business and project owners will hopefully realize why they are looking COVID-19 And by seeing only the negatives, they may be missing out on opportunities.
Endless Change: The COVID-19 Opportunity
One thing you can count on is the need for change. COVID-19 it has become more true than at any other time in history. Whether it is a change in behaviors, protection of workers and customers, hours of operation, cleaning and sanitizing procedures, the number of employees working or customers served at any given time; regardless of whether there is a common theme: the need for change.
COVID-19 created new challenges for multi-state organizations accustomed to organizational standards. The pandemic challenges this goal as businesses receive new state and local government and health requirements. Establishing policies that encompass the organization, however desirable it may be, may not be practical. There must be flexibility to locate the answer.
With all of that said, you can’t let these challenges put you off. Resilience is the answer. You must be looking for opportunities.
Look for opportunities
Where do you find opportunities?
Banks, stores, and other customer-facing businesses have innovated by installing plexiglass protectors, creating a safer environment, reducing the possibility that employees or customers transmit airborne pollutants, not just COVID-19 viruses but also flu and the common cold.
For companies that manufacture shields, this was an opportunity. They were making shields previously, maybe not? Shields may now be a new product line or perhaps the material was scrap from larger jobs that would have been recycled or thrown away. Regardless, it was an unexpected opportunity; are you looking for your opportunities?
If your business has an outdated showroom, the remodel can be challenging due to the disruption of the sales floor, however now due to the COVID-19 reduced traffic, this may be the ideal time to remodel.
Gyms and similar facilities are reorganizing equipment to allow for social distancing. This makes sense, but is it all they can do? Are there other improvements or changes that could be achieved while participation is low?
Have you considered whether your organization has a product line that it does not produce and what is the source of the problem? Is it a lack of product knowledge on the part of the sales force? Now is the time to update the training program that can be delivered virtually or in small groups. While the sales force is not as actively involved, are you taking advantage of this opportunity for training events?
Do you have a computer, a software application, a system that causes an excessive amount of downtime or just doesn’t work efficiently? Several years ago, I was hired to solve a technology problem with the remote sales force. Several technicians had looked into the problem, but couldn’t take the time to investigate. It took you three days to figure it out, do you have similar challenges?
Take your time now or bring someone to help you find your opportunities!
COVID-19 Success Story
Read this article on the completion of the Salt Lake City airport. Salt Lake found the benefit in the pandemic when reduced traffic at the airport allowed construction in passenger areas to proceed at a faster rate and saved $ 300 million and took years off the project.
Virtual project meetings
Successfully completing projects on time and on or under budget is challenging at best. All projects are subject to distractions, modifications, scope changes, interference, special requests, and personal agendas that, if allowed, will divert a project from the schedule and destroy the budget. Business managers must exercise control over project managers, team members, and stakeholders to prevent or at least mitigate distractions.
According to the PMBOK, Project Management Book of Knowledge, project control should be exercised through face-to-face individual and team meetings. These are the times when the project owner or executive can review the current state and, if necessary, reset focus to ensure the project stays on or gets back on track. This is also the point where you often lose control because individual agendas can change focus.
COVID-19 It makes face-to-face meetings difficult, if not impossible! However, current technology can overcome those limitations. Even better, this is an opportunity to rethink the process. Instead of being tied to the physical presence of a face-to-face meeting, use virtual meetings. Face-to-face meetings can be difficult to organize due to travel schedules or other issues. Virtual meetings overcome these problems because they are that “virtual.” They can happen anywhere and at any time. Excuses for not meeting become harder to justify.
Virtual meetings provide more control
Virtual meetings are easier for the project owner to control. Ground rules can be set that require participants to be muted and the host can control this. Those who wish to speak may be asked to signal that wish and, if the information gets off-topic, the organizer may respectfully end it.
Mitigate the advancement of the project scope
Physical meetings can drag on, virtual meetings shouldn’t be endless. They should be organized for a specific time (30 – 60 minutes) with a specific agenda previously shared and when the time is up, the meeting ends. Issues that are not part of the project should be addressed separately to manage and mitigate scope leakage.
Social distancing in project meetings
Today, face-to-face meetings lose much of their value as we practice social distancing and wear masks. We have lost the benefits of the “foreground” where we can “read” the other side and see important facial expressions. These are key to truly understanding the other person.
Virtual meetings do not require masks or social distancing: the expressions are still “in the open.” You sit at a normal distance from your computer, and as long as you have a decent screen size, you can read facial expressions.
Resume
After reading this article, you, business executives, and owners should be wondering what your COVID-19 opportunities are. What projects have you postponed? Don’t waste any more time – THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!
