Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 15, 2021 | Worcester Business Journal 37 Admirable crisis leadership V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L I f you look at the common traits shared among the 2021 WBJ Business Leaders of the Year and Hall of Fame inductees in this edition, you'll find many admirable ones, including decisiveness, perseverance, and the desire to make the community a better place. ese attributes were all the more important in the past year as the coronavirus raged and social justice issues moved from the shadows to the forefront. Collectively, the entire Central Massachusetts business community put its strengths on display over the last 12 months, which is among the reasons why the region has fared as well as it has. e past year has been filled with human and economic loss, but looking back at the way the world and the local economy seemed to be falling apart at the end of March 2020, the fact the regional economy weathered the storm is clearly a sign of our resilience. Yes, Central Massachusetts is fortunate to not be dependent upon industries like retail or tourism, and more reliant upon sectors like health care and manufacturing, which became all the more essential in the past year. Among the big boons to the business community was the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which starting in the spring provided forgivable loans to companies and much needed financial stability in an uncertain time. Our local bankers worked night and day and over several long weekends to process these loans for their business customers, and it was a major reason the summer was less scary than the spring. e new wave of federal coronavirus relief efforts from December and in March provided more assistance, which didn't have the same direct benefits for as many businesses, but did clarify unresolved issues around bankruptcy and tax liabilities. e latest effort, the $1.9-trillion stimulus just approved in March, does inject significantly more money into the economy and is expected to boost spending and consumer confidence. row in the growing rate of vaccinations, and we've got the first real signs of optimism in quite some time. All told, the last year was one we'd all prefer to never experience again. But out of that darkness came some positives, and many of our business leaders showed how to manage and lead in a crisis. Gordon Lankton's legacy While we honor the accomplishments of the 2021 WBJ Business Leaders of the Year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the life of Gordon Lankton, a former winner of the award who died March 7 at age 89. Lankton lived one of those amazing lives, highlighted in his early days by a nine-month motorcycle journey from Germany to Japan. In the early 1960s, he purchased small Clinton manufacturer Nylon Products and turned it into a billion-dollar, employee-owned business called Nypro. He used his money and appreciation for foreign culture to found the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, highlighting artifacts from the Byzantine traditions of the Russian Orthodox Christian faith. A deeply loved and respected leader, Lankton's was a life well lived, and the local community will experience the benefits of his extraordinary efforts and generosity for decades to come. The above Editorial is the opinion of the WBJ Editorial Board. The Viewpoint column, the A Thousand Words cartoon, and the Word from the Web commentary represent the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of WBJ or its staff. WBJ welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Send them to bkane@wbjournal.com. Give employees the emotional skills to work remotely C OVID-19 has dramatically affected the way organi- zations and businesses communicate and operate. We have seen boarded-up storefronts, bankruptcies, and hallmarks of American capitalism fall. While some busi- nesses have tried to adapt, others such as Hertz and retail giants like JCPenney have succumbed to the economic strain. What can your business do so you don't meet this fate? Remote employees must have strong social-emotional skills so such a shi won't compromise a business' objective and culture. As leaders in the business community, instilling positive social and emotional engagement in the workplace can do wonders to trans- form any business into a powerhouse. Company morale and culture contribute to maintaining the divide between professional and personal spaces. Workspaces intermingled with personal space raise new challenges since employees may not have the same support structures as in an office. Issues may be easily communicated in an office setting but may go unaddressed when an employee works remotely. ese issues can damage productivity and lead to redundant errors. As a business owner or manager, you must address the importance of developing employees' social-emotional skills. ese skills include the ability to constructively commu- nicate their strengths, weaknesses, and required resources so work can be delivered on time and without mistakes. Personal development and effective relationship manage- ment are just as important. An employee should understand their roles in an organization and coworkers' identities and capabilities. In that way, they could communicate effectively within teams and divert work they can't handle. Companies should offer time to recuperate from stressful situations since typical support structures may be harder to implement remotely. Encourage employees to reach out to supervisors to address any issues privately so emotional wellness, productivity, and company morale aren't impacted. Remote work requires teams to build support structures across digital platforms. is can be done via Microso Teams or other instant messaging platforms. Team building is more important than ever, and employees should strive for professional development as they work alongside their coworkers in their own private personal spaces. Proper relationship management and team-building skills can mitigate the absence of in-person meetings. COVID-19 has dramatically altered the way we approach work. As employees continue to work remotely, we must consider the skills required to successfully adapt to this new normal. Ask yourself what you can do to strengthen your emotional and social skills. We must address how we can build a work environment over digital space, which is inclu- sive, empathetic, positive, and engaging. Jean Paul Paulynice is the founder of the Worcester education startup Empowering Confident Youth. BY JEAN PAUL PAULYNICE Special to the Worcester Business Journal Jean Paul Paulynice W W A T H O U SA N D WO R D S B Y R A M Ó N L . S A N D O V A L

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