Coordinates 03.20
Welcome to Coordinates 03.20
Hi everyone,
This newsletter has taken me some time to compose. Every day changes, so I continue to think if what I’m going to share will be relevant. This time is a lesson in agility for all of us, changing direction as the circumstances dictate.
For that reason, I pulled together a post on “Keep Calm and Carry Along” just below, offering tips for leading and connecting with your team’s during this time. I also highlight some brands, organizations, and others that have managed communications well during the crisis so far. Then I close with a few additional tips and resources.
We want to make sure to help you make a positive impact for your employees, business, brands, customers, consumers, and community during this challenging time. We hope you find a few insights that inspire you to action.
If there’s anything I can do to help, please reach out. Happy to be a thought partner. Happy to research a topic that would be of practical use to you and your teams. Most importantly, please keep your yourself and your families well.
Be safe, connected, and optimistic.
Kathy
Leadership Corner
A Leadership Guide to Keep Calm & Carry Along
In this post, we’ve summarized tips on how to lead your team through this time of crisis and remote work.
We cover these 3 topic areas:
How to keep your team focused and calm during this time of crisis.
How to communicate well with your team while working remote.
How to have great online meetings.
We tried to keep these lists short and concise to keep you from having to read a bunch of additional articles. We hope you find some insights that are helpful to you as a leader during these trying, but hopeful times. We will get through this. We always do. The only way is through.
Be safe. Lead well.
Insights to Inspire to Action
Good, Responsible Leadership Examples
We've been intrigued by those companies and brands showing up and demonstrating good, responsible leadership during this time. Here are a few of our favorite picks from this last week.
Starbucks has sent clear, transparent, and heartfelt messages to customers as the Covid-19 crisis escalated. The communications clearly demonstrate the brand ethos and the company’s genuine caring for the communities in which it operates. On top of that, the company appears to be a model in demonstrating business agility.
KQED, the Bay Area’s public news outlet, sent one of the more positive emails amid the crisis with a subject line of “Providing Trust, Calm, and Hope.” It was soothing just reading that as a headline.
Chipotle stepped up to offer lunch hangouts on Zoom with various celebrities.
Thank you to Chris Martin for his heartfelt, live performance on Instagram deemed #Togetherathome, passing it on to John Legend and others who kept the concerts going throughout the week.
Not surprisingly, a lot of people appreciated Patagonia’s response for shutting stores and its online business until it felt assured it could keep its workers safe. And, they are doing so without cutting anyone’s jobs or pay.
Have you seen any companies or brands that have demonstrated thoughtful and responsible leadership during this time? Please share!
How to Stay Upbeat, Entertained, and Supported
Here are a few articles or resources I've come across in the last week that can help keep you upbeat, entertained, and supported.
Help each other by being inspired, remaining calm, being grateful, and showing compassion.
The On Being “Care Package,” a collection of podcasts and poetry recommendations to offer support during this time.
Find some good resilience building tips at the end of this article.
Check out culture online!
Museum exhibits from Google
Museum exhibits, Symphonies, and Operas from home
And visit some national parks!
The Monthly Progress Practice – March
At the beginning of the year, we shared our Monthly Progress Practice. Progress happens through small actions, so we offer a monthly practice of small actions or micro-habits to inspire positive change this year.
March, inspired by Spring-time, is centered around the idea of Focus and the concept of “Prune.” This is especially important in this moment.
“We often have too many to do’s. So this spring, what can you prune to focus your efforts? Prioritize where you want to put your attention.” With this intent, ask yourself today:
What is most critical for me to address today? Do this first.
Where does my team need support to give them stability and resilience?
How do I need to support myself right now to be the best I can be for my family and my team?
On Watch, Take Notice
Trend Revisit
In our 2020 Trend Forecast, we talked about the need for companies to build contingency plans and really embed organizational agility and adaptability skills into their companies. What we are faced with today makes this all the more real. We also talked about being a brand that “Brands for Good,” and that, too, is highly relevant in this moment.
With regard to the latter, consider these quick tips we had shared in the Forecast:Lead your brand with purpose and valuesStand with and be for your customersHelp bring people togetherOffer consumers a respite and delightOffer kindness and positivity
Book in Brief
“Peak: How Great Companies get their Mojo from Maslow” by Chip Conley
I recently picked up Chip Conley’s book, “Peak,” which he wrote after the dot-com bust in 2000-2002. Yet, he created the concepts during that time and used them to help guide his team through that crisis.
Some of the concepts he writes about align with the idea of Purpose and some traditional brand building concepts. What I like, in particular, is that he applies Maslow’s hierarchy to 3 stakeholders: Employees, Customers, and Investors.
Read an interview with Chip here >
Watch a presentation with Chip on the topic here >
If you're inclined, get the book here >
Worth a Listen
I continue to really love the “After Hours” podcast by HBR Presents. The 3 presenters are excellent. Here are two podcasts from this past week where they talk about the economic impacts of the Coronavirus.
Making Sense of the Economic Impact of the Coronavirus
Bonus Episode: Coronavirus News and Industry Bailouts
Another listen I'd recommend is this podcast by Scott Galloway. It’s his first of The Prof G Show and was newly recorded last week. I'd recommend you skip to about 18:00 to hear his interview with Aswath Damodaran, Scott's colleague at the NYU Stern School of Business who is a finance professor and guru. Their discussion about the economic impacts of Covid-19 is also quite helpful.
“Never, never, never give up.”
- Winston Churchill
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