More than ever, organizations need strong leadership to guide their teams through the storm caused by COVID-19.

Seasoned managers aren’t supposed to let tough situations throw them off. After all, experience has taught them to deal with everything from predictable hiccups to unforeseen emergencies. But the current crisis has taken stress levels to new heights and the added pressure is having an unprecedented impact on all aspects of business management, including finance, technology and human resources.

Leaders have to act fast to protect their employees and the company. This involves making hard decisions and constantly adjusting (and readjusting) to ever-changing circumstances. In the current context, effective leaders need to have a comprehensive management toolkit at their disposal, as well as the wisdom to know which tools to use and when.

What management style works best in uncertain times?

When a crisis occurs, it can be hard to know what management approach to take. Should you assume full control and reduce staff members’ decision-making authority? Or is this an opportunity to promote self-reliance and initiative?

It depends. The best approach is to adapt your management style to each team member’s personal needs and professional maturity. Some people require clear directives while others will rise to the occasion if you give them a certain amount of freedom.

Either way, in a climate of urgency, it’s important for managers to have a clear vision of the situation and objectives to engage employees. You’ll need to put all your technical skills and interpersonal savvy to inspire confidence.

Focus on your targets

Since this is no time to add to employee stress or confusion, managers should keep their eye on the finish line and base all their decisions on their primary objective.

Short-, medium- and long-term considerations should be taken into account. The longer the crisis lasts, the harder it will be for employees to stay on task and remain productive. In anticipation of waning motivation, managers should think of ways to boost employee engagement.

Keeping busy can help people feel like they’re still in control, which is useful for managing anxiety. That’s why managers should clearly define each person’s role and assign them tasks that they can realistically achieve in the current circumstances.

Delegate and empower

When pressure runs high—like during a crisis—pessimism can set in. To prevent that from happening, delegate certain responsibilities to team members. When individuals are actively involved in finding solutions and establishing priority actions, they’re more likely to feel optimistic. Give employees the opportunity to take initiative and step up their responsibilities, as long as they’re ready for it.

Take time for a heart-to-heart

As a leader, you benefit from working closely with your team members. Help them understand what things they can control, what factors they can influence, and what issues are entirely out of their hands. Laying it all out and setting priorities can do a lot to ease anxiety.

In this way, you will focus employees’ energy on useful and value-added actions. This is what’s known as situational leadership. It involves knowing how to be most effective in a given situation.

Ultimately, these carefully measured interactions can help you establish trust with team members while maintaining enough distance to have a big-picture appreciation of the issues that they can’t see from their vantage point.

Enlist the team’s help to find solutions

A good leader encourages others to voice their opinions and observations, without allowing any finger pointing or blame games. Instead, try to harness each team member’s personal strengths and see how they can contribute to shared objectives.

In addition to being good communicators, strong leaders need to be great listeners. By hearing what each person has to say and being open-minded, you’ll be better able to act as the glue that holds the team together and help each individual find a sense of purpose and accomplishment, despite the crisis.

Remember to be lenient with yourself and your employees. As the person setting the example for the team, feel free to let them see that no one is perfect. Your team is counting on you to analyze the situation, make decisions—including tough choices—and adjust plans and priorities as needed. You’re allowed to make mistakes. But you need to be open to feedback and ready to make quick changes to keep everyone moving in the right direction.

The spread of COVID-19 is disrupting businesses around the globe. As the crisis continues, businesses need to be agile in managing the tax effects on their business.

While tax filings and payments may already be front of mind, other international tax areas require consideration.

Multiple sectors have been impacted with some businesses completely side-lined due to widespread labour and supply chain interruptions. The credit markets are only beginning to see the effects of cash strained borrowers struggling to meet their obligations. Consumer demand has all but evaporated as countries continue to encourage limited interaction to control the spread of the virus. Unemployment is sharply increasing in many places with governments stepping in, and in some cases guaranteeing incomes.

Multinationals are especially challenged with a complex web of legal and administrative changes happening around the globe. Operating in what was already a complex environment, businesses are now trying to do more with less as the public health situation weighs on the economy. As the crisis continues, businesses need to be agile in managing the tax effects on their business. We have highlighted a few of the areas below that businesses may look to address as they look to be resilient amid the global disruption.

Read the entire article here.

If any of these areas have raised concerns, or you would like to discuss in more detail for your business, please contact our experts.

The coronavirus may have shaken the workplace, but the crisis will pass. In the meantime, take care of your employer brand and employees.

With all the measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19, a lot of businesses are experiencing a substantial slowdown. But the situation is only temporary and everyone hopes that things will get back to normal soon. You’ve got to be ready for when that happens.

Given the current labour shortage, business leaders should reassure their employees and make sure their experience remains as positive as possible. Let your corporate values shine through.

Speak through your employer brand

An employer brand is much more than just a company name and logo. It’s your personality. It’s your DNA. Use it to say what makes your business unique. Your employees play a dual role by contributing to the brand and acting as its ambassadors.

Despite the current situation, you need to stay true to your business culture and employer brand. This means taking care of your team. If you have to make tough choices—like cutting hours, switching up responsibilities and temporarily laying off employees—you’ve got to be open about it. It’s the only way you can gain and maintain their trust.

The way you handle the situation and implement changes can have a big impact on your image, both inside and outside the organization.

Be transparent about changes and layoffs

Regular and transparent communications are essential in the current circumstances. You may need to adjust your leadership style, show empathy and explain the rationale behind hard decisions. Make sure your communications address any changes in the situation. These best practices apply all the time, but they’re now more important than ever.

If the crisis is forcing you to lay off workers, make sure you provide these individuals with the information they need and let them know what your next steps will be. Designate an internal contact person who can answer any questions they may have about human resources matters. Keep in touch with laid-off employees so that they still feel like they’re part of your team.

For answers about the administrative side of layoffs and managing employees in times of crisis, consult our frequently asked questions.

Support employees and managers working from home

Employees may be feeling ungrounded, especially if their team has been restructured or if they’ve been asked to work from home. In either case, there are things you can do to improve their experience as company employees.

Set a schedule

Plan one-on-one and group meetings. You may want to check in more frequently at first, but that need will likely subside as everyone gets used to the new reality.

Give feedback

Use meetings to provide regular feedback and words of encouragement to employees working from home.

Delegate responsibilities

Since working remotely can make it harder to cascade information, hand power over to your teams. Consider creating sub-groups to handle specific tasks or projects.

Make professional development a priority

Capitalize on downtime by offering your team training. This includes self-guided study, knowledge sharing and mentorship arrangements.

Set realistic goals

With the current situation being what it is, you may need to adjust your team’s performance targets. Some people take longer than others to adapt to change. Since the crisis has undoubtedly disrupted your business’ ecosystem (clients, suppliers, public health directives, etc.), review your goals and make sure they’re achievable in the current context. Then communicate these objectives with your team and keep the lines of communication open on how you’re going to attain them.

Encourage employees to talk to each other

Social distancing measures and telework have made us all appreciate the importance of interpersonal connections in the workplace. When we let colleagues glimpse into our homes, we’re more likely to connect on a personal level. You can prevent people from feeling isolated and boost team spirit with online social events, like a virtual after-work cocktail.

For other measures to adapt your business practices to telework, see our article on the topic.

Remember that the crisis—and your response to it—will leave their mark on employees. The decisions you make today will affect their relationship with the company in the future. You’ve already invested substantially in your employer brand, so don’t let it all go down the drain.

Keep delivering on your promise and you’ll come out ahead when the crisis is over. Remember, we all have a role to play in cultivating our employer brand. Let’s remain optimistic, collaborate and take care of our talent as we weather the storm together.