Get the scoop on strengthening culture during COVID straight from our OSB guru,
Josh Collins – AVP Culture
As the year began, we could not have anticipated the unique challenges we would face in 2020. COVID-19 has shaped our interactions, routines, and even our vocabulary. We now use terms like social distancing and flatten the curve as if they are second nature. Seeing people with masks on is normal, even though it isn’t Halloween. The pandemic has touched everything we do and it is important for us to acknowledge that, but also to recognize that we are still responsible for our own outcomes. For me, this means realizing that while we may do things differently, we are still responsible for moving our culture forward. We focus on three areas to ensure our culture remains strong even as we work through unique circumstances.
It starts by ensuring all decisions are a reflection of the values we hold dear at Oconee State Bank. Being essential to others means having their best interests at heart. For us, that starts with providing safety and security to everyone we interact with. This means that our primary objective from the start was to do our best to protect all of our stakeholders including our customers, team members, and community partners. Banking is an essential service, so we did not have the option to stop all operations, but we were able to reduce staffing at our financial centers by having a large portion of our team working remotely. We were able to make that pivot quicker than many of us thought possible. While we love seeing our customers face-to-face and sharing a smile or a laugh with them, those interactions would put people at higher risk so we put everyone’s safety first and adhered to social distancing policies. Living your values is always important, but is exponentially so during a crisis. True character reveals itself during trying times, not good times. If you want your company culture to be great, ensure your organization is values-driven during difficult times.
Communication is the second critical component to maintaining culture through challenging times. When facing challenges, human nature is to be anxious or fearful about the uncertainty of what is happening. A lack of knowledge can allow anxiety and fear to rule the lives of our team members. In order to reduce those concerns, we started communicating more often than we have in the past. Our monthly updates to our team shifted to weekly updates for our team. We added daily emails to distribute information to our team twice a day. These emails ranged from any updates by the CDC or governor to helpful links related to mental health practices, workout from home videos, simple/quick recipes, and more. We wanted our team to have the best information to be successful while adjusting to new working conditions. When you face a crisis, keeping your team informed is vital to the success of your organization.
Finally, human connection could easily be lost when everyone is practicing social distancing. Meetings have taken on completely different forms. Many of us have become more familiar with Zoom than we ever wanted. We have been connecting virtually which creates some roadblocks to our normal group interactions, but it also opens up many opportunities as well. The chance to see into the lives of team members as a family member pops in or the pet shows up has created insights into co-workers lives that may not happen during a standard interaction at work. Those sneak peaks can help us connect to one another and better appreciate the people we work with. We can also utilize other methods to connect in ways we may not have used previously. Instead of sending an email, why not call the person and chat for a minute to catch up? Hold virtual game sessions or home scavenger hunts. Create virtual happy hours or after-hours hangouts. Be creative in coming up with ways for your team to come together even while you are apart and your team will be even more engaged in helping accomplish your mission. And no matter what, take the opportunity to do something nice for others. Showing people you care makes them feel less alone, which goes even further in a socially distant world. Human connection makes us all better, so be sure you make it a priority.
Culture is critical to creating sustainable success. Organizations that focus on their culture can see the difference in their performance, especially when difficult times arise. If you are a leader in any organization, I encourage you to assess your company culture and strive to improve it today. For Oconee State Bank, that means staying true to our values, communicating effectively, and maintaining strong connections between people. Building the right culture will help you get through difficult times, and your organization will be able to look back and tell stories about how you navigated the COVID crisis together.