STRATEGIES

en the level of input you receive. Utilize social media wisely. Advertise on radio or television. With the COVID slowdown, there also are good, new deals to be had for companies to advertise in print or online. These can target the specific geographic and demographic consumer you wish to attract.

Internally, become your workers’ primary source of information. Avert rumor and quickly dispel any false information you perceive. A bulletin board just isn’t enough anymore. Email your employees and explain the company’s safety policies and procedures. Solicit feedback. Virtual or in-person group meetings can reinforce your genuine concern for employee welfare — both physical and emotional. Serve food. Offer counseling resources. And, if your employees interface with the public, it is crucial that they deliver the consistent messages you wish to convey, and see

themselves as an emissary for your company’s stand on COVID practices.

Externally, the public needs to hear more about and from you than the fact that you are open. How are you contributing to the needy? Taking care of your own? Offering innovative solutions for individuals?

Privately, you face noncompliance on safety by both workers and customers. Get ahead of it with a firm position on procedure and consequence. Will an unmasked worker be suspended? Will a customer be asked to leave the store?

The bottom line: prepare and share. Your carefully crafted, fully transparent and well communicated plan of action will lead to smoother operation, better morale, and clarity. You are ensuring all concerned that you value folks’ welfare as much as the bottom line.