In times of crisis, I truly believe that people may forget what you say or do, but they won’t forget how you made them feel.
COVID-19 is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Lives have been disrupted at a rate we have never seen before. Yet it also presents us with the opportunity for essential leadership. The decisions and the actions we are taking will resonate in history. With an adaptive nature, we can learn. We can put organizational practices into place now that will ensure health and wellness. COVID-19 has forever changed our business landscape.
Being the CEO of Global Industrial, a publicly traded company with a strong workforce is a privilege, and with that comes the responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of all of our people. With a robust 70-year history, it is the dedicated people, customers, investors, and founders that keep Global Industrial standing strong.
While crises such as this can create anxiety, stress, and fear, it has also shown me the best people have to offer. We are seeing leaders emerge in every area of the business. People are stepping up to lend their insight, and presenting areas of expertise we didn’t know they had. We are a hardworking, resolute, and dedicated team.
Last week we initiated the first remote workforce strategy in the history of the company within 24 hours. A mobilization of this scale required working closely with various departments within the organization to ensure the messaging was clear, technology was in place, and associates’ needs were supported across the enterprise.
We implemented retroactive bonuses, a flexible attendance policy, and company-sponsored virtual healthcare for our warehouse associates who are on the frontlines in our network of locations in the US and Canada. All of our facilities are professionally, deep cleaned every evening, and equipment is wiped down after each use. Warehouse associates have protective gear for each shift. Our associates are actively engaged with daily communications that provide company updates from me and key departments.
Our business continuity is even more crucial now. Global Industrial has been deemed an “essential business” by the U.S. federal government. Our customers include medical facilities and businesses that need operating equipment. That means we are not only responsible for the safety of our workforce but to our customer base that provides essential products to a wider audience.
We are taking customer orders in real-time, shipping product, replenishing stock, and updating our customers via direct communication and website messaging. Our business leaders are holding multiple meetings per day to review new challenges, assess performance, and devise the best solutions. We’re taking the emotional temperature of our customers and associates through proactive dialogue. We want to know how they’re doing and we are responding with new information.
I believe in our collective intelligence to weather this novel storm. I believe in our workforce who is making it work from their remote locations, and we will get through this with the tenacity, determination, and acumen of our leaders and associates.
Originally published on LinkedIn on March 25, 2020