Worcester Business Journal

22 Worcester Business Journal | April 27, 2020 | wbjournal.com 10) Recognize the vital role our human service workforce plays in supporting the most vulner- able people. Many of the individuals supported by health & human service organizations have significant challenges, disabilities and underlying health conditions. 9) Ensure the health and safety of staff, families and individuals served remains the highest pri- ority. With new updates released every day from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the responsibility of organizational leadership to ensure the agency has accurate protocols. 8) Follow the state's orders and make adjust- ments as needed. Like many nonprofit organiza- tions, Open Sky had to temporarily suspend most on-site operations in response to Gov. Charlie Baker's order limiting gatherings of more than 25 people. We still have many employees on the front lines of care, who bravely choose to come to work every day and deliver direct care and support. 7) Reimagine new ways to deliver services. It's important to think outside the box in how you serve your clients. Our team has made themselves available through telehealth, where meetings with providers can be made virtual. 6) Make sure everyone on your team is in the loop. It's important to make sure your organization is up to date with the when, how and why of your next action plan. Be transparent and share informa- tion in ways brief and easy to digest. 5) Keep communication open at all times. Wheth- er it's on social media, email, or through a phone line, let the people you serve and your employees know you are here to listen and respond. 4) Refrain from sounding indecisive. Crisis situations call for strong leadership. This is not the time to act on emotions or fear. People need to feel confident the leaders of the organization are making well-informed decisions to keep everyone safe. 3) Look for ways to give back or help the community. Although it is easy to be focused down and in during a crisis like this, it is also important to look for ways you can make things better for the community-at large. Open Sky clinicians produced a series of public videos "Coping During COVID" to help people learn ways to manage anxiety, depres- sion, substance use and other challenges. 2) Never waver on the goal. Remember individuals and families depend on us to provide the best possible support possible at this time. Keep your organization's mission, and the people you serve, at the forefront of all decision making. 1) Practice, model and promote good self care. As a leader, you are the person people look to as to how they should behave. Demonstrate you take time to recharge. Encourage employees to do the same. K N O W H O W Keeping the human connection during social distancing 10 1: W hether inspired by a crisis like the COVID-19 outbreak or not, more companies are investing in corporate social responsibility efforts, according to nonprofit reporting ser- vice GuideStar USA. GuideStar reports 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for products from socially respon- sible companies, and 93% of the world's companies produce CSR reports each year. Partnerships with nonprofits are mutually beneficial, carrying multidi- mensional benefits. Look local. Jason Wingard of Forbes cites research out of Columbia Uni- versity in New York showing when it comes to public and private entities joining forces, place-based causes, play- ers and strategy work best. e greatest impact can be created in one's own community, writes Wingard. "Silicon Slopes, a consortium of Utah-based startups and tech companies, quickly rallied to create a website with local resources and volunteer opportunities, launch the COVID19 Utah Community Response Fund, and most impressively, partner with the state and other agen- cies to double Utah's testing capacity," he writes. Local partners are more likely to work again in some capacity, as well. Spend time scouting. GuideStar notes the best partnerships between nonprof- its and companies are built on bonds benefitting both sides. Companies should look for charities aligned with the company's field and business model; have many ways to get involved; offer meaningful volunteer experiences; have continuous partnership promotion; are responsive; and are grateful, according to GuideStar. See the benefits beyond tax deductions, like heightened employee morale, according to Inc.com. "According to a 2016 Deloitte study on volunteering, Millennials were twice as likely to rate their corporate culture as very positive if their company participated in workplace volunteer activities," writes Molly St. Louis. With so much uncertainty in light of coronavirus, the more morale the better. Employees respect companies giving back and feel more of an emotional connection to that employer as a result. 1 0 T H I NG S I know about . . . ...Human services during the COVID-19 pandemic BY JULIA BECKER COLLINS Special to the Worcester Business Journal W hen I started to write this at the beginning of March, this article was about the need for the genuine human connection that businesses need to maintain with those in their network, from partners to communities. Now, in a world of social distancing, stay-at- home orders, and fear of human contact, I still believe human connection is nec- essary in business, more than ever. I'm rewriting this as we rewrite how to meet, network, and build new relationships: I believe in the same things, but I'm doing them in new ways. During this pandemic, you can (and should) build stronger connections Before this all happened, how oen did you end a business conversation with, "Stay safe"? Showing human compassion and concern has become more critical than ever and understand you can do it and still be professional. Just like you shouldn't delay meetings (just take them online), you shouldn't delay reaching out to your networked and partnered businesses because of the disruption. You might find new ways to help each other and compare notes on local resources. Resume normal busi- ness when times are normal. Avoid falling back on normal communication channels When I was writing this before, I was stressing the need for face-to-face meetings to build connections, from the sincerity of the effort of meeting in-person to how it can build trust and emotional ties email, texts, and phone calls simply can't convey. Right now, in the world of social distancing, it's easy to fall back on these communication channels, but you might be surprised how well video chatting and conferenc- ing can stand in right now to strengthen relationships. Along with breaking the habit of fall- ing back on text or voice, you'll need to realign some meeting standards, both for digital ease and during this crisis. What has worked for us: • Don't worry about perfection. A good thing to apply to anything during this crisis, but especially true for video communication. Perfectly quaffed hair to perfect business-and-home backdrops. Don't worry: everyone knows we live in interesting times. • Technical issues will happen. We've rarely been in a video call lately that doesn't have at least a minor problem. Unreliable connections, faulty video or sound: just power through it. Make sure to keep human connections at home My favorite social psychologist, Adam Grant from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, talked about how the lines between work and home are blurring as we have to build offices in our homes, and our cohabiters suddenly become our coworkers. Understand and expect interruptions when you're work- ing, from mundane questions to them just checking in to see if you're alright, regardless if they have two legs or four. It's important to view your business and its partners, clients, and fans as relationships in your life to maintain, both during and aer these trying times. Even if you're going remote or shutting down your business, don't close the door on these relationships to help your business, industry, and community. And stay safe. Julia Becker Collins is the chief operating officer at Westborough digital marketing agency Vision Advertising. She can be reached at julia@vision-advertising.com. BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal By Ken Bates Ken Bates is president & CEO of Worcester human services nonprofit Open Sky Community Services. W W P A R T N E R I N G W I T H N O N P R O F I T S W

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