If the pause of 2020 has taught us, we all have time to reevaluate our priorities, procedures, and operations. The idea of returning to normalcy has long been discarded, and adapting to the changing environment of “new normal” should be the focus moving forward.
Reimagining your business and your operations, especially as we deal with the hiccups we’ve experienced during the past year, is a great way to bide your time. Challenges present new opportunities depending on how you perceive those obstacles, and as we move forward, how we approach those challenges will shape our new possibilities.
As we round the corner of the challenges we shared this past year, how we intelligently open things back up is vital. A smart plan that addresses current procedures and methods for multiple contingencies are crucial to surviving and flourishing for any organization.
The implementation of mass vaccination efforts does offer some light at the end of the tunnel. However, until there is widespread vaccination rates of 90-95% are attained, we will continue to adapt our daily lives accordingly and societies at-large.
For any organization to adapt and survive, that means there will need to be some changes to their operations and routines. Safe practices should be implemented as recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Organizations should have plans in place for employees, volunteers, members, and customers to the organization.
Organizations that plan for the future uncertainty will have a leg-up on others, whether in commerce, youth activities, education, or even faith-based organizations.
How you structure your organization to adapt can vary depending on your organization’s needs. A traditional brick-and-mortar operation will have different safe operations requirements than, say, an office setting, a school, or church.
Transitioning from the usual way of doing things to a new system is stressful and can be overwhelming without a strategy behind those changes.
For a traditional brick-and-mortar business, having a detailed plan on how to allow occupancy to be safe is much different than the plan a concert hall or church venue would need to implement.
Plan Policies For A Safe Return
As you restart your organization, establishing a list of policies and procedures understood by every person involved with the organization is crucial.
There should be a plan for Individual Health Protocols, Small Teams and Cohort Groups, and any Contingency Plans in the event of a future issue.
Plan Your Organization’s Health Protocols
Your organization should place a detailed plan for each member under your guidance. Every employee and customer plans to understand their responsibilities associated with using your services or shopping your offerings for a business.
Your plan should organize the necessary safety protocols such as early and regular temperature and symptom checks; require mask-wearing, physical distancing, hand-washing, and possible vaccination requirements.
Create Small Teams To Minimize Cross-Over Issues
One other adaptation your organization needs to take is to divide your groups into small teams and cohorts; if there is an issue or concern, you can track who interacted with each other. By having small groups interacting together, you minimize the chance of a larger impact that may damage your operations.
Recognizing the necessary plans to be in place also shows that there can be a ton of loose ends. Trying to organize all of those different factors can be too labor-intensive, especially if your organization has strained resources, and finding a management program can assist you.
For example, a faith-based organization operates with several volunteers to get by. Keeping track, assigning roles, and scheduling all those different people requires a ton of labor that the organization may lack.
For those types of volunteer organizations such as a church, a church management software program would alleviate many headaches and streamline the process.
Create Contingency Plans
Once your organization has a plan in place for in-person operations, either with limited-to-full occupancy or whether it’s a hybrid plan of sorts, you need to have a contingency strategy in place.
The reason for any contingency plan is that there will be unforeseen and inevitable obstacles. How your organization can adapt to the ever-changing environment will go a long way toward your organization’s successful maintenance and growth.
A contingency plan should include the what-if scenarios of a potential outbreak among employees, volunteers, and customers or members. There should be a structured answer to the question: If something happens, what is your strategy to move forward?
Rethinking your organization’s practices and ways of doing things is crucial as societies begin to plan on reopening. Planning can be labor-intensive, and managing those organizational structures can also be challenging to maintain, so utilizing a management software program can save time, energy, and other resources.
Moving forward stock photo by lakshmiprasada S/Shutterstock
