With the launch of Pride at the Intersections, a three-part series, Rachel Zakariasen takes Q+ organization-wide.

Over the course of her career, Rachel Zakariasen has seen — and overseen — a lot of change. She’s architected culture transformation at WebMD and Nike. Presided over pharma and biotech transitions as an Accenture consultant. Led change communications during Medtronic’s $3B global transformation. And today, as senior vice president at United Minds, part of The Weber Shandwick Collective (TWSC), she’s equipping clients with the communications and engagement strategies crucial to navigating tectonic global shifts.

But it’s at the helm of Q+, TWSC’s business resource group (BRG) for LGBTQ+ employees, that Rachel foresees having soul-satisfying impact. As Q+ programs launch throughout Pride Month, we sat down with her to get a glimpse of her vision.

You’ve belonged to Pride Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) throughout your career. How is Q+ different?

In addition to BRGs offered by our parent company, The Weber Shandwick Collective launched several new BRGs in the past two years with the premise that marginalized and underrepresented employees need safe spaces that center their experiences. The first one to launch, NOIR, came on the heels of George Floyd’s murder and offered Black employees a space to process and connect.

Similarly, with over 300 anti-LGBTQ+ laws being proposed across the country right now, LGBTQ+ people need safe places to gather and connect. The fact that the agency recognizes this as the foundational purpose for a BRG is something I haven’t seen before, as a lot of Pride groups’ focus is on educating and engaging people outside of our community. In addition to that core purpose, Q+’s remit also includes having an impact on the business, which we are actively doing by weighing in on business pitches, supporting client work centered on the LGBTQ+ community and helping to build a brand that is known for being an advocate for and ally to LGBTQ+ people.

But what really stands out about TWSC’s approach is the financial support. This includes a healthy budget to support our activities, making financial commitments to LGBTQ+ partners and providing BRG leaders with a stipend to compensate them for the extra work they do. Even though our BRGs are relatively new, we operate at a maturity level that surpasses many organizations I have worked for in the past.

What’s your vision for Q+?

In one word, it’s intersectional. The LGBTQ+ community brings the widest range of overlapping and intersecting identities to the table — starting with the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity. We identify as LGBTQ+, but we are also BIPOC, immigrants, members of faith communities, veterans, parents, people who are neurodivergent, and so much more. That intersectionality is still not well reflected in how the media represents members of our community. We want to change that. The future of Q+, like the future of DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), is all about how our intersecting identities creates different experiences related to both oppression and privilege.

What changes do you want Q+ to drive for Weber Shandwick?

Inside and outside the organization, I want us to educate people on the ways that others experience the world. As a cisgendered woman who is femme presenting, I have privilege that my masculine-of-center partner doesn’t have. I can safely walk into a “women’s” restroom and not worry that my presence will be questioned or unwelcome. She does not have this guarantee. And we both have much more privilege and safety than a transgender woman of color in our society. It’s important that people understand this, that they connect with others whose lived experience is unlike their own and come to feel empathy. Providing opportunities for that to happen is what I see as our priority.

How does your Q+ role inform the counsel you give your clients?

It depends on the culture of the organization and where they are on their DE&I journey. For those considering launching ERGs, I tell them don’t do it unless you’re willing to adequately fund them. It’s been a radically different experience for me to have budget, to not be working with just sticks and glue. For others, I might stress the need for safe spaces where people can talk about issues related to their experience or identity in and outside of work. Because if they can’t, and if they don’t feel safe, it undermines their sense of belonging and well-being — which in turn impacts the business. An organization that doesn’t foster inclusion for everyone is not going to win the talent war.

What advice would you give resource group leaders across organizations?

First, get the buy-in of executive leaders. If they’re not engaged, your ability to drive any change will be limited — both in and outside of the organization. To secure and retain their involvement, make the business case for yourselves as a resource group. Remind them that as a built-in focus group, you can advise on workforce education and training, consult on client presentations and projects, evaluate new product offerings and help grow the client base. That should get you the budget you need to pay speakers, create quality programs, invest in professional development and deepen members’ contribution to the mission.

What do you most wish your straight colleagues understood?

An important thing we talk about, when we talk about the LGBTQ+ experience at work, is that you don’t just come out once — you have to come out over and over again. If you don’t feel safe enough to take that risk, you’ll just let people assume what they will, until you’re closeted all over again. This is why I urge everyone –not just my straight colleagues — to not make any assumptions about others’ identity. About their gender, their orientation, their race, their anything. Ask open questions. And if you assume too much? If you make a mistake and the other person calls you on it? Understand that you feeling bad is not the other person’s responsibility. That defensive feeling is a signal to pay attention. It’s a reminder that there is something here for you to learn.

How might companies best support LGBTQ+ employees during Pride month — and every day?

Go public with your support: Sign on to initiatives and coalitions that are advancing the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people. Educate your managers and clearly outline what behaviors are expected of them. Create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people (and ALL marginalized and underrepresented groups) to share their experiences. Make sure your benefits, policies and practices do not unintentionally harm your LGBTQ+ employees. Regularly pulse your LGBTQ+ employees — with focus groups, not just surveys — to learn how you are doing in supporting them. And act on what you learn.

What is your perception of United Minds’ culture?

Even before United Minds coined its mission phrase — “Making business more human” — every person I spoke to during my interviewing process made this business feel more human to me. I was very out, very relaxed in those interviews. Not that I thought being a lesbian would hinder my career prospects at the company, but I’d been in plenty of rooms where, if I said something about my wife, there would be this uncomfortable pause during which I could hear everyone thinking to themselves, “Ok, don’t be weird about this.” At United Minds, literally no one batted an eye. I felt people saw me and valued all of me: My knowledge. My experience. My approach to leading, which is done with empathy. My passion for equity. And my commitment to justice. I felt, These are my people.

Mental health. Wellbeing. Inclusion. Belonging.

These aren’t just buzzwords you’ve heard constantly over the past two years; they’re real issues that every leader should be prioritizing, learning about, and acting upon. They also have something else in common: they affect an individual’s degree of feeling psychologically safe.

You might be thinking, “what exactly is psychological safety?”

Psychological safety, as defined by Timothy R. Clark, author of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, is “an environment of rewarded vulnerability in which human beings feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo- all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.”

Recent independent studies by United Minds, McKinsey and Accenture tell the same story: psychological safety is foundational to successful organizations today. For example, in United Minds’ research, we discovered that at least six of the top-10 factors people associate with getting a “fair deal” from their employer in a work environment that remains volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous have to do with feelings of psychological safety. These are highlighted below:

1. Job security

2. Positive work environment

3. Trustworthy peers

4. Competitive salary and benefits

5. Resources to be successful

6. Un-biased ability to succeed

7. Support for wellbeing

8. Fair treatment

9. Motivational, supportive leaders

10. Work/life balance

Furthermore, these studies also point to the fact that creating a psychologically safe environment starts with leaders role modeling the behaviors they want to see.

But is it just about displaying these behaviors, or do leaders need to feel them, too?

In short, no and yes. Amy Edmondson, universally recognized as the subject matter expert on psychological safety (having coined the phrase in the 90s) and Richard Boyatzis, a pioneer in the field of emotionally intelligent leadership, urge executives to become aware of and address their own needs, first so that they can focus on leading empathetically in an increasingly stressful landscape. Boyatzis noted that “we can’t be positively infectious with others…unless we’re feeling inspired and sustained ourselves first,” to which Edmondson adds, “As a leader, if you’re not role-modeling sustainable behaviors- taking care of yourself, getting enough sleep, taking necessary breaks- then you make it very hard for others to do the same.”

It’s important to note that authenticity is crucial here; merely saying the ‘right’ things in front of your employees is not enough. Recognizing that vulnerability and empathy are not natural for all leaders to exhibit in the work environment, this is an area where some leaders may need to train themselves to not only demonstrate these behaviors, but to embody them.

So…what? Should you start taking mental health days, shutting down at a decent hour, and have more vulnerable, human, conversations at work?

Honestly? Yes! That is, if you want your business to be successful, anyway.

Many of the studies previously cited show that psychological safety is not just good for business, it’s essential. Organizations with high psychological safety experience a significant reduction in turnover, increase in engagement, productivity and innovation, as well as higher skills preparedness and probability that workers will apply their newly learned skills on the job.

These changes don’t take place overnight, and they are near-impossible to do with leaders who feel burnt out, overworked, and undervalued. A high-performing culture starts in a psychologically safe environment. A psychologically safe environment begins with leaders who are genuinely supportive, motivating, and transparent. And to be a leader who supports the mental health and professional growth of others, you must begin in a mentally and physically healthy space, yourself.

How can you tell if you feel psychologically safe at work?

From our broader United Minds benchmark of employee experience in today’s work environment, six key questions can be isolated to assess the psychological safety of an organization. Before turning the lens on your team, you can use these questions to assess yourself. Go through the questions below one at a time and consider how much you agree or disagree with each regarding how you feel about your organization; not just the team you lead, but the team of leaders you are peer to as well as in the organization at large. If you can answer the majority of these questions positively, then you feel a strong sense of psychological safety in your organization.

1. I feel safe to take appropriate risks to succeed.

2. My colleagues help me when I need it.

3. The people I work with are trustworthy.

4. All employees’ opinions are valued.

5. I feel accepted for who I am.

6. I am able to participate and express my point of view.

Again, psychological safety is a foundational requirement for the success of any organization, and it starts with leaders. Those leaders cannot create a psychologically safe environment if they don’t feel safe, themselves. If you identify that you do not feel such in your organization, it’s time to examine why that is, and take the steps necessary to get there; once there, assess the psychological safety of your organization, identify what areas you can affect as a leader, and start establishing more psychological safety for your team.

The talent market is hot, and the June 1st US Labor Market report confirms that we still have over 11 million open jobs. This means that employees remain empowered to request more from current and prospective employers. But as with other markets — what goes up, often comes down. With the possibility that economic growth will slow or decline squarely on the horizon, companies are engaged in scenario planning for a period of slower growth. Part of this planning should include a strategy for a talent bear market.

While this article will not focus on theoretically defining a bear market for talent, we know the indicators: a pattern of reduction in open jobs, higher unemployment and — for hiring managers — an easier time finding and negotiating with top candidates.

Warren Buffett famously stated that at Berkshire Hathaway, “we simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.” A faltering talent market presents an opportunity for companies to be greedy by investing ahead of the next bull market so they are positioned to win the next war on talent.

To help ensure your company is primed to go, here are three ways to prep for (and execute against) a bear market talent strategy.

1. Invest in value

With an overheated talent market, employers are harder pressed to be strategic. The level of urgency in bringing aboard new talent provides less time to do due diligence, leading to buyer’s remorse when a “hot prospect” turns out not to have the promised skills an employer is expecting. And as it relates to retaining talent, a focus on rapidly deploying new benefits and rewards can feel like whack-a-mole — with decisions taken quickly in order to react to competitor moves and countermoves. Sometimes these decisions add tremendous value, but often they miss the fact that compensation and benefits are only one piece of a broader mosaic of an employee’s desired experience at work.

Strategy is about making choices, and two rise to the top:

  1. Identify the employee segments that are most critical to sustaining competitive advantage and driving growth on the other side of an economic downturn. While corporate and management talent is a typical area of focus in hot talent markets, this is a time for other parts of the company to shine. For companies with complex supply chains, that means shoring up those end-to-end capabilities with top talent. For companies that work closely with customers or consumers, the front-line team should be supported and bolstered during the downturn. It’s also an opportunity to make sure that junior teams are filled with the best and brightest.
  2. Identify big, differentiated bets that create long-term value for employees. In other words, stop chasing competitors and think about ways to create an enduringly valuable employee experience in your own organizations. This is a much harder proposition because it means thinking through how to motivate and appreciate employees, offering work that involves creative problem-solving and creating a culture where individuals are able to grow and contribute. Take it one step at a time, with the first step of inaugurating a cross-functional team across the business and with HR to gather a more holistic view of the strength of the employee experience. This can be done through rich qualitative and quantitative data collection, followed by identifying employee pain points and potential solutions.

By targeting the talent that is most valuable for your business in the long-term and shoring up their experience, growth will be so much easier to execute on in the future.

2. Prioritize diversity

Diversity breeds innovation and success — and many companies have fallen behind in today’s labor market. But companies that haven’t yet implemented a robust diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) strategy have an opportunity to do so in a bear market. It means investing in the structural elements that support both hiring and retention of diverse employees.

Start by asking:

Focusing on DE&I is not only a long term play — it can produce immediate results. From advancing overall employee satisfaction and retaining the top talent leaders can’t afford to lose.

3. Take risks

It may seem counter-intuitive to add risk in a bear market, but some risks are easier and more fruitful when companies are able to catch their breath. For one, it’s the perfect time to pilot new ways of approaching the employee experience and culture.

Here are a few examples:

One way to get started is to set up a Culture & Experience Innovation task force. Empower this team with a senior sponsor committed to action and set up a team charter focused on developing and executing on pilots. And don’t just set objectives for number of wins — tack on a “failure objective” to make sure that people are pushing the envelope and learning along the way.

Some leaders fear bear markets, but they offer unique opportunities to invest in what’s truly valuable. To take calculated risks and lay the groundwork for long-term success. Now is the time to take those lessons learned from successful investors and business leaders and apply them to your most valuable asset: your people.

Fostering a healthy workplace in the midst of the “Great Wait”

The past eighteen months have been dominated by constant change — more than most can truly absorb. And the longer the COVID-19 pandemic lasts, the more uncertainty it creates.

Humans are designed to react to short periods of stress in a fight-or-flight way, but aren’t so good at enduring ongoing threats and conflicting information. And it’s taking a toll. In a recent poll of U.S.-based consumers and workers (conducted in partnership with KRC Research), we discovered that:

· 58% worry about their mental health and wellness

· 56% say employee turnover is a problem where they work

· 49% are experiencing work burnout

The physical, mental and emotional toll of COVID-19 is widespread and enduring. For employers, this critical reality cannot be ignored.

So, what now?

Beyond every organization’s responsibility to protect its people, there are several business-critical reasons that employers should be concerned about employees’ physical and mental health. According to a survey completed by West Monroe Partners, hiring and retention has been identified as the top threat for 49% of executives — and for good reason: as TLNT reports, replacement costs range from 30% of salary for entry-level workers to 400% of salary for senior executives. And with COVID-19 cases on the rise and new variants emerging, companies looking to bring people back into workplaces also face higher risk of infection, which can slow and even shut down productivity.

Three ways to foster a healthy workplace

Today, more than ever before, cultivating a healthy workplace for the overall wellbeing of a workforce is essential — and it takes work.

Employers can start by focusing on these three things:

1. Normalize the discussion of mental health. Throughout the pandemic, leaders have become more demonstrably empathetic and transparent. And it’s working. A previous KRC Research poll of U.S.-based employees found that 57% of employees feel more connected to their leaders and companies despite often being physically distant. Prioritizing mental and physical health is an opportunity for leaders to connect authentically with their people, both by acknowledging their own feelings and by creating space for others to bring their whole selves to work. Some organizations successfully do this by introducing and encouraging meditation and mindfulness. For example, start each meeting with a brief pause. Have everyone write down what’s on their mind as a way to clear their head before switching to the now. And begin the meeting with a “check-in” before you dive right in.

2. Take manager and leader training to a new level. Research shows that an employee’s direct supervisor has perhaps the most significant impact on an employee’s experience. But beyond the traditional “manager” duties, leaders and managers need better training to spot employee issues and help to address them. Not by taking on the role of therapist, but by having the ability to really see when an employee is struggling and connecting them to the right resources.

It’s also important to remember that leaders and managers are people too — and they are often going through all of the same things their employees are experiencing, on top of supporting their people. For the health and wellbeing of everyone, it’s critical for managers and leaders to also practice self-care.

3. Innovate and test — rapidly. Wading into mental health and wellness in a real way is new ground for many companies — and there’s no roadmap in place for navigating the way. Leaders need to take a more open-minded approach and try a lot of things to see how they pan out. Learn quickly from what works and what doesn’t and don’t forget to share!

Ultimately, focusing on improving mental and physical health and wellness needs to be about more than providing perks. It should center on truly aligning programs and systems that support employees’ stated needs. Like taking time to actively listen via dedicated sessions, surveys and open office hours. Creating more space through organizational norms that protect people, such as meeting-free Fridays, after-hour email blocks and even mental health days. Respecting those employees who need to work outside of the norms based on personal demands. And more expansively, where possible, it can be beneficial to facilitate change within the organization, from shorter-term secondments and special assignments to career mapping and full-time role change.

The key is realizing that employees aren’t a predictable and finite resource — they’re people. And healthy people require a healthy mind, body and spirit.

Also important is realizing that we’re living in what we’re calling The Great Wait — a certainty that uncertainty will continue. And that the current, ever-changing environment is not sustainable for most people, let alone one where people can thrive at work.

In partnership with United Minds and Weber Shandwick, KRC Research has conducted a series of nine national surveys among Americans 18 years of age and over. The first survey was completed between March 4 and 6, 2020 after the first U.S. coronavirus death. The most recent survey was completed between August 23 and August 26, 2021. Each survey was conducted online with a sample of between 1,000 and 1,500 individuals, demographically weighted to align with the U.S. adult population based on U.S. Census data. All surveys examine two key audiences: U.S. consumers and workers.

By Alex Plavin, Senior Associate and Morgan Galbraith, Director

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues — most recently with a surge in vaccine mandates — here’s what companies need to know as it relates to implementing workplace policies and communicating with their workforce.

The recent FDA approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, coupled with the increasingly prevalent Delta variant, is causing companies to reevaluate their vaccination policies — quickly. Multinational organizations like Disney, Walmart and Tyson Foods were some of the first companies to incentivize employees and require proof of vaccination.

The Society for Human Resource Management reported that Disney employees are required to show proof of vaccination before returning to the office. Similarly, Walmart is offering a $150 incentive for those that get vaccinated and Tyson Foods is offering a $200 bonus to front line workers and will require vaccination for its unionized workforce and new hires.

As more companies begin to mandate employee vaccination, careful consideration needs to be given to how these policy changes are communicated and enforced. Organizations should also be prepared for strong, varied reactions from employees. In fact, a recent Gallup poll indicated that two-thirds of U.S. employees either strongly favor (36%) or strongly oppose (29%) vaccine requirements.

However, there’s evidence that employee sentiments are shifting toward greater levels of support, as the same study found that 52% of employees are in favor, 38% opposed and 10% neutral.

With these types of polarizing responses, any organization that is considering implementing mandated vaccine policies should be prepared to address vaccine hesitancy and resistance — and answer employees’ most pressing questions.

Five considerations for communicating about vaccine mandates

Throughout the course of the pandemic, we’ve continued to guide our clients on return to office and vaccination communications. When it comes to communicating around vaccine mandates, we’ve identified five key considerations:

#1: Be straightforward and confident in the decision, not apologetic.

All communications should be simple and transparent. Make it super clear what the company is enforcing, when and how — not just for the mandated vaccination policy, but other measures still in place and new requirements that support it. This may include how to prove vaccination, how to request legitimate exemptions and what will happen if the new policy is not followed.

While you should not be apologetic in your decision, it is important to remain empathetic and recognize that employees may react with a variety of emotions. And while the company respects these different opinions, it has a responsibility to prioritize the safety of its people and vaccines have proven to be the most effective protective measure.

#2: Reinforce company values in messaging and communications.

A company’s purpose defines why it exists; its values guide the beliefs upon which the business is based. Both should drive all major decisions, including how you respond to the pandemic and subsequent actions.

Communications should always connect back to your company purpose and values. These can help reinforce why the organization is implementing these new policies — to fulfill the promise made to employees, customers and communities. This is an important moment for your employees and other stakeholders to see your values in action.

#3: Equip people leaders with the right information at the right time.

When it comes to vaccine information, employees only trust a handful of sources: reliable organizations such as the CDC, WHO and HHS, leaders like Dr. Anthony Fauci, their primary care physicians that know their personal health history, trustworthy community leaders and ‘people like them’ who are vaccinated. In fact, people are more likely to act if “you’ve talked to your neighbor, co-worker, cousin, or golf buddy about having done so.”

Within an organization, managers and people leaders are the number one channel for reaching employees. They need to be equipped with the information needed to support any new policy, including how to talk about misinformation and address questions and concerns.

As an employer, this means:

#4: Address the elephant in the room: What are the consequences of not following company policy?

There will be employees who disagree with a decision or policy, and many may even be angry about the decision to require vaccination. In your communications, openly respect the varied reactions employees will have and even explicitly say you know not all employees will want to follow these guidelines, but understand they are in place to help ensure workplace safety.

The important thing is to be clear about the consequences of not adhering to the policy. This may include immediate termination, being placed on leave or something else. And while you should recognize there will be some special exceptions, these will truly be exceptions. The process for requesting exemption should be reinforced.

Keep in mind that there are many reasons why people are hesitant to get the vaccine but providing additional support — helping with access to vaccines and testing and sharing credible information — can be useful to those considering getting vaccinated. Understanding reasons for vaccine hesitancy and how they vary among employees is also critical to addressing concerns. By understanding the intersection of health and racial equity, you can ensure diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded into your policies and communications.

#5: Keep listening to employees and establishing lines of two-way communication.

Throughout 2020, leaders and organizations did a great job of listening regularly and keeping a pulse on employee sentiment. This behavior should be embedded within all future engagement with employees, regardless of the internal and external environment.

Despite the mandate being a directive and not open for discussion, leaders and communicators should create an open and inclusive culture that invites conversation and incorporates feedback from employees. While the company may not change its mandate, it should continue to build trust with its employees by showing it cares about their concerns and is willing to be flexible in other ways.

Still on the fence about mandating vaccines?

For companies still debating whether to take a stance on vaccine mandates or instituting new company policies, download Weber Shandwick’s Plan VX research study, which provides more information and considerations for communicating with employees on this critical topic.

No plan is foolproof, but we hope these best practices and recommendations encourage companies and their leadership to address employee concerns and take the next steps in facing change and uncertainty head on. While this is certainly an unprecedented time, organizations have the opportunity and responsibility to engage employees thoughtfully and frequently.

Improving inclusion, experience critical to engaging LGBTQ+ employees at work.

For many, this Pride month has been extra celebratory, timed with the reopening of our communities as more and more people become vaccinated. After a year of global dialogue around social justice that has shone a light on the experiences of marginalized communities — including LGBTQ+ people — there is a sense of momentum and progress towards combatting inequity.

At the same time, we know we are only at the beginning of the journey towards social justice. This is no more apparent than in the workplace. A recent study by our United Minds team of employee perceptions of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) efforts helped to identify what is contributing to — and standing in the way of — the experience of LGBTQ+ employees.

These top five insights should be considered by all employers as they seek to acknowledge and take action to create a better work environment not only for their LGBTQ+ team members, but for their organization as a whole.

1. Being a Part of a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Organization is Important to LGBTQ+ Employees. LGBTQ+ employees are more likely to agree that having a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization improves reputation with customers, ability to attract high-quality talent, and ultimately the company’s bottom line. In addition, LGBTQ+ employees are 34% more likely than the benchmark to report that it is important that they work for a company that values diversity.

2. LGBTQ+ Employees Have Lower Perceptions of Their Work Environment. One in four LGBTQ+ employees do not agree that people in their organization treat each other with respect and one in three do not agree that their organization offers fair treatment, access, compensation, opportunity and advancement for all employees. Less than half of LGBTQ+ employees believe strongly that their organization has the capacity to attract, grow and retain diverse talent. These perceptions are at or more than 50% lower than the benchmark. In addition, the top thing LGBTQ+ employees want to improve about their company is its culture — 2X higher than benchmark.

3. LGBTQ+ Employees Are Far Likelier to Have Experienced Unfair Treatment at Work. More than four in 10 LGBTQ+ employees report experiencing unfair treatment, including microaggressions, discrimination, and harassment while at work. A third of LGBTQ+ employees have experienced a microaggression, while nearly one in three has experienced discrimination or harassment. LGBTQ+ employees who have experienced unfair treatment are 4X more likely to attribute the cause to their sexual orientation. An LGBTQ+ employee is also far likelier to have experienced multiple types of unfair treatment than the benchmark.

4. Confidence in Human Resources is Much Lower Amongst LGBTQ+ Employees. One in three LGBTQ+ employees does not feel comfortable going to human resources with complaints about discrimination, harassment or incivility. Half of LGBTQ+ employees do not believe that human resources will swiftly and competently address these experiences — a 33% increase over the benchmark.

5. LGBTQ+ Employees Are at Greater Risk of Leaving Their Workplace. Perhaps unsurprisingly given their lower perceptions of work environment, more frequent experience of unfair treatment, and higher levels of disillusion with the institutions put in place to protect them, only half of LGBTQ+ employees are very satisfied with their current job. Nearly a quarter more LGBTQ+ employees are also considering leaving their organization in the next year than the benchmark.

Seen together, the data paint a bleak picture for LGBTQ+ employees and the companies that want to retain them. But there are also opportunities to make significant progress in reversing these troubling trends. For example, our study shows that LGBTQ+ employees are more likely to value the environment at their current workplace and to appreciate the flexibility offered than the benchmark. When it comes to areas for improvement, beyond improving culture, LGBTQ+ employees report wanting to see more commitment from their organization around DE&I, as well as improvements to communications and collaboration.

And the time is now. While Pride month is drawing to a close, the work needs to be ongoing. As companies seek to bring people back into the office — and faced with the Great Resignation — there is more urgency and opportunity to redefine workplace culture and employee experience. By taking immediate action and planning for a long-term commitment to advancing DE&I, employers can foster a more inclusive environment where LGBTQ+ — and all — employees can thrive. In doing so, they will position themselves for success in attracting and retaining top talent and engage better with their customers and communities.

By Kate Williams, Consultant and Claire Jones, SVP

The global COVID-19 pandemic may have pressed “pause” on a number of business activities, but the movement of employees to new roles is still taking place, with many companies adopting remote working practices and encouraging those who have the ability to work virtually to do so. How can employers rethink and codify the way they deliver the new starter onboarding experience in this “new normal,” so that the people joining their organizations remotely feel welcome and can quickly become effective, without the usual environment and infrastructure to hand?

Whether joining from a new company or changing roles within their existing company to meet changing demands, new starters want to make a good impression, hit the ground running and prove their value. Line managers want to show the new team member that they have made the right choice, help them navigate the organization or their new role and make them feel welcome, settled and ready to contribute.

An employee’s induction is critical: it sets the tone for the overall employee experience, it’s key to forming new relationships and establishing connections, and it’s the most critical time to inspire and ensure alignment on vision, values and culture.

So how can managers of those who are able to shift to a virtual working environment, successfully onboard new starters when two of the most important factors in a traditional induction — a physical environment and meeting colleagues face-to-face — are absent?

Here are four simple steps you can follow that will help make the transition smooth not only for your new starter, but for your organization.

1. Start the dialogue early. Being a new starter always comes with a variety of fears, not least whether the role will be what they thought it would and whether they will get on well with their team. But there’s now additional fears: whether the permanent role they were offered is really going to be “permanent” and whether they will be able to feel part of a new team without face-to-face interaction. To assuage these fears and set the tone, start the dialogue as soon as you can: an employee’s experience starts before they even walk through the (virtual) door. By creating a communication flow between you and your new starter in the weeks before they’re due to join you can let them know what’s going on in your company and keep them informed on their upcoming role. There’s no such thing as overcommunicating during this time. Schedule a virtual coffee video call with yourself or HR, or even just send an email, to provide reassurance where you can, acknowledge the challenges and provide an opportunity for them to ask questions. This is a great chance to share your own experience of how your, or your teams’, work has had to flex and to create a safe environment for your new team member to raise concerns.

2. Streamline tech. Imagine this scenario: it’s your first day of work, but your laptop is still being prepared by IT, your mobile’s not due to arrive for 10 days, and you don’t even have a login yet. For some new starters, this is a typical day one. The only thing worse than arriving at the office to find that your technology isn’t ready, is starting your new job from home without the technology you need! Whilst remote working offers a wealth of opportunities, without the technology in place these are likely to be limited. As early as possible consider what your new starter will need, and partner with IT to set it up: equipment, software, VPN access and any necessary log-ins or accounts. Reach out to others in the organization who may already work with remote teams and draw on their insights. Talk to your new starter about their home environment: do they have space for the equipment you’re sending? Are they comfortable with inviting video-conferenced colleagues into their home? Schedule the delivery in good time and being considerate of your new starter’s schedule, and set up a tech onboarding session with IT — you don’t want their first day (or worse, first week) to be a non-event!

3. Help them feel part of the team — quickly. Meeting new colleagues and starting to build a network is one of the most important aspects of swiftly feeling part of a new team and organization. Hopefully your organization will already have video conferencing applications in use, or there are multiple, easy alternatives available. Some of the most important areas to focus on for a new starter are:

– Buddy-up: A buddy system is another great way to help a new starter feel settled, and this shouldn’t be limited to an office environment. Choose someone who they might have something in common with, and to whom they can ask the questions they might not want to ask their manager.

– Expand their network: As soon as they begin set them up with virtual meetings with everyone in their team and wider teams, those they might interact with and those you think they might get on with. Send the schedule to them before they start and explain who they are going to talk to and why, and make sure that your colleagues know too!

– Spread the word: There’s nothing worse than joining a call full of people you don’t know, only to find that they don’t know who you are or why you’re there. Make sure that all the relevant people are made aware that someone new is joining, and how they will be working with them.

– Be prepared: Whether it’s simply for the software that your company uses or more extensive inductions, all new starters will need training before they can begin to excel in their role. Compile a list of necessary and optional trainings and recommended readings so that they can fill any free moments productively from day one.

– Welcome party: Find opportunities to introduce your new starter to colleagues — at team meetings, by email, and even better if you can arrange a virtual “welcome party” to help make them feel that you’re excited to have them on board. Feel free to raise a glass as a team to toast the new starter or take a new team photo of your video call, if that fits your culture!

– Welcome gift: Giving your new starter a small gesture on their first day is a great way to make them feel welcome. In lieu of having something waiting for them on their desk, consider a gift package that could turn up on their door: a stationery set, a bunch of flowers or even a voucher sent by email can set the tone for their onboarding experience.

4. Be thorough. Working remotely means that new starters won’t have the benefit of being able to pick up on the little things or reach people as easily. Similarly, you can’t rely on visual cues to realise when they need your help. Make sure you give them all the resources they need to get their job done and give them enough of your time to walk them through it and answer questions. Rather than having one long meeting, space these out with touchpoints every day for at least a week. Having an induction meeting or two in the diary for each day will help add structure and connection in those early weeks. Let them know that you are there to answer questions and help them in any way that you can.

The induction process requires effort in order to be successful: and with remote workers, the effort is greater for line managers and for colleagues. Making time to ensure your new starter has a great experience, and being clear with your other team members on your expectations of their help and support, will ease the process for everyone. With the advancements of technology that we have at our fingertips, it has never been easier to welcome new employees into our organizations. But during these uncertain times, managers have a responsibility to ensure that their new starters can put their best foot forward and that they feel even more a part of the team than they would if they were starting in the office.

Of course, this crisis is affecting all workers, not just those who are able to work virtually. Ensuring a smooth onboarding process for essential and key workers who do have to be on site is equally critical during this time and involves a different set of considerations.

If you’d like to talk through your onboarding experience — for virtual or on-site workers — with the United Minds team, get in touch at [email protected]!

By Kate Bullinger, President and Emily Caruso, SVP

Much is unknown about the long-term impacts that the 2020 confluence of a global pandemic, racial justice movement, and economic crisis will have on every aspect of our lives. While there are many areas where a wait-and-see approach might be prudent, planning for the future of work is not one of them. This past year presented leaders with the biggest management challenges of their careers. And as the recent attack on American democracy have already demonstrated, 2021 will continue to test the values — and limitations — of leaders. One thing is clear: those who act swiftly and boldly will not only improve experiences for their employees, but the value of their businesses.

Through a national survey of US consumers and employees conducted by Weber Shandwick and KRC Research, conversations with futurists, subject matter experts and our clients, we’ve identified the five tensions executives must wrestle with as they reset and reinvent for what lies ahead.

Importantly, all five tensions are rooted in evolving employee and consumer expectations at a time when more is required from companies than ever before. Leaders will not be able to put off the hard work of deciding where on the continuum they fall because stakeholders are watching, waiting and prepared to hold them to account.

Tension #1: Shareholder vs. stakeholder capitalism

Many organizations are facing economic realities when resources to perform even core business activities are limited. Shareholders are uneasy and leadership teams are seeking new ways to generate profit in a marketplace that is forever changed.

At the same time, stakeholder capitalism has resurged. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on diverse communities, the racial justice movement and challenges being made to a free and fair election have contributed to the growing expectation that businesses serve not just the interests of investors, but of all stakeholders — employees, customers, suppliers and local communities. For example, in the wake of the violent uprising in Washington, intense scrutiny — from these stakeholders, as well as advocacy groups and the media — is causing many companies to review strategies for political giving and make decisions on whether to suspend or end these contributions. This is about more than corporate reputation. More than one third of those we surveyed would like businesses to play more of a leadership role in helping guide the nation through difficult times and 73% are influenced in their purchasing decisions by whether a company is making a positive contribution to society.

Against this backdrop, NOT investing in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion and other societal interests is a business risk in and of itself. Conversely, those companies affiliated with politicians and institutions standing in the way of a peaceful transfer of power are being called to account. Mere statements, token donations and temporary actions are being viewed for what they are: at best, good intentions and at worst, hollow brand building.

Instead and despite resource constraints, leaders must find the confidence and resources to tackle systemic discrimination and injustice in a sustained way, in the months and years ahead and ultimately when nobody is watching. These longer-term actions should include auditing and then addressing the systems, practices, and processes that hold back diverse populations and stand in the way of inclusion.

This is one tension where compromise is not advisable. In addition to influencing purchasing decisions (and beyond being the right thing to do), our data show that the upsides of stakeholder investment include improved recruitment, retention, and performance.

Tension #2: Leader-led vs. employee-led change

In times of crisis leaders often tighten the reins, turning to a trusted inner circle of advisors and consolidating decision-making. It’s an understandable reaction, particularly as businesses navigate largely uncharted territory, but it’s a style of leadership that has quickly become passé.

Indeed, recent events have ignited a bottom-up revolution. Workers are organized, passionate and vocal with the potential to be highly effective change agents, and they want a say. When leaders take the company in one direction and employees pull in another, it causes enormous strain that leaders must confront head on.

A simple example of meeting in the middle can be found in Starbucks’ decision to provide employees with apparel in support of the Black Lives Matter movement following an initial stance forbidding BLM symbols on uniforms. The move represented a compromise — the company was able to honor employees’ desire to stand for racial justice while ensuring the language used on the apparel was true to the intent of the movement and would not be divisive.

Tension #3: Employee safety vs. business performance

Employers receive high marks for the way they’ve prioritized their people in recent months. Sixty-nine percent of respondents in our survey feel their employer is putting worker safety over profit and three-fourths of those back at work say their employer has changed the way it works to lower the risk of infection.

But these measures have not come without cost. For some industries, protecting workers initially meant reducing hours or shutting down entirely with dramatic losses in profit. For blue collar companies, it has required record-level spending on collaborative technologies. Organizations of all kinds have experienced harder-to-quantify losses owing to a decline in the type of innovation that only in-person collaboration can produce, constrained sales and customer service models, and isolated employees who in some cases have been quick to disengage.

As employees come back, companies will spend billions reconfiguring spaces, adding protective equipment, designing new work processes and purchasing health check technologies.

To keep businesses profitable while protecting your people, flexibility is paramount. Employers like Salesforce and Discover are allowing employees to re-enter on their own timing and their own terms. Here too, the options are not mutually exclusive. A healthy workforce that feels cared for by its employer will intuitively drive better business performance.

Tension #4: Employee productivity and well-being vs. personal privacy

As the pandemic persists and access to and perception of the vaccine remains fraught, workers’ anxiety and uncertainty has been increasing, and employers are being called upon to play a larger role in supporting their people’s wellness.

The implications are two-fold, with employers taking on greater responsibility both for employees’ physical safety (going beyond gyms and healthy options in the cafeteria to better ventilated spaces, staggered schedules, temperature checks, elevator protocols, vaccination policies and more) and new responsibility for their people’s emotional and psychological resilience.

Yet what will be seen as fulfilling obligations to some will be seen as an infringement on employee privacy to others. Some employees don’t want their employers to have their personal medical data, don’t feel comfortable opening up about their mental health with a company-affiliated therapist or don’t want to participate in conversations with colleagues about race in the workplace. Many resent the controversial practice of remote monitoring. To them these types of interventions, in whatever spirit they’re intended, are crossing the line.

The reality is that employers will never be able to take increased responsibility for employee wellness without impinging on privacy to some extent. But being clear on the considerations and trade-offs that drove the decision-making process — as General Motors and Kaiser Permanente did when publishing their return to work handbooks — will go a long way in extending trust.

Tension #5: Digital centricity vs. human centricity

Technology trends that began before COVID-19 are being rapidly expedited. Companies are accelerating their digital transformations to account for the fact that more employees will work from home in the long-term and increasingly looking to automation and AI to complete routine tasks as workforces shrink in size. They are taking every business process and customer touchpoint and actively designing its digital corollary.

While these measures can improve access and connection — and in many ways are saving the global economy — they also challenge us to find ways to guard against the impersonality of a more virtual and more mechanized world.

The increasingly popular shift to long-term work-from-home models will result in many positives but is likely to come at the expense of culture, which will have to be actively nurtured in new ways. Majority-remote companies such as GitHub might serve as a blueprint for how to navigate this type of hybrid model.

Conclusion

Expectations about the role businesses should play in society and vis a vis their people are evolving minute-to-minute. Now is the time to think about what these expectations mean for the future of business and the new world of work. For many leaders, this is the most definitive moment of their careers — they must carefully weigh competing forces and interests and take a stand.

Those who are most successful will stay closely connected to their stakeholders, encouraging input and debate through the decision-making process. They will commit to a test and learn approach as they experiment with different solutions, and they will explain both the “how” and “why” behind their decisions so their constituents appreciate the complexity and understand the intent. Above all, successful leaders will ground their decisions in corporate purpose and values, staying true to who they are and honoring their commitments to those they serve.

United Minds, a Weber Shandwick consultancy dedicated to organizational transformation, harnesses the power of people to solve critical business challenges. Get in touch at: [email protected]

As we continue to navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, most organisations are realising that there will be no return to “normal” and that the way we work has changed forever. The Future of Work is Now: the Employee Experience Premium is the first in a series of white papers from United Minds, Weber Shandwick’s specialist organisational transformation consultancy, exploring how organisations can create the right employee experience for their people in this new world.

Employment is no longer a simple transaction where money is exchanged for skills, capabilities and experience. These days, employers and employees expect much more from this exchange of value.

Employers don’t just want their staff to be present — they want them to be productive, empathetic to customers and colleagues, innovative, creative and display a number of other attributes. In return, employees expect considerably more than simply monetary payment.

In order to achieve this, different employers offer a wide range of tangible and intangible benefits, ranging from the infamous ping pong table and gym memberships to stimulating and purposeful work. Organisations have value propositions based on a unique combination of these benefits in order to attract and retain the best talent. When this exchange of value is in equilibrium and everyone feels treated fairly, an organisation is delivering a good employee experience.¹

The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted this exchange of value in a very profound way and will continue to do so. The most obvious of these interruptions, entire workforces having to suddenly work from home, is now the least of employers’ concerns. A recent study from United Minds and KRC Research, revealed that over two thirds of those surveyed consider themselves as productive at home as they are in the office and that 74 per cent would like to continue working from home after the pandemic has run its course.²

Many of us are considering even more substantial changes as a result of the pandemic, with large numbers of office-based workers considering relocating from cities to more rural locations knowing they can work just as effectively remotely. New work habits have formed; talk of returning to “normal” misses the point and organisations need to adapt.

The current situation has changed the point of equilibrium that creates a great employee experience. In the course of just a few months, many elements of the value proposition that employers have relied on for so long have been significantly devalued. A subsidised gym membership that employees can’t use has no value. Neither does a ping pong table nor a fridge full of beer in an empty office.

What made us successful in the past is not what will make us successful in the future. As we adjust to a new world of work, in order for organisations to attract, retain and motivate top talent they need to look forward and evolve their employee experience in light of the lessons we have learned during the pandemic. Two factors above all will determine an organisation’s future employee experience: empathetic leadership and radical flexibility.

I. Provide empathetic leadership

Nine months into the pandemic and with no real end in sight, many organisations are realising that they not only need to address the challenge posed by the virus itself but also the impact it is having on their employees’ mental health, career development and personal networks, as well as the corporate culture. In a world where employees are not only navigating the effects of the pandemic but also the economic, political and social justice crises caused or amplified by it, there is a premium on genuine, empathetic leadership.

As the value of more material benefits has declined, the value employees are placing on good leadership and effective line management is increasing. There is no secret to leading organisations today — it’s the same as it has always been.

A few years ago, Google analysed the leadership factors that differentiated high-performing teams from the rest and eight attributes emerged:³

These qualities are more critical now than ever before — nothing about the pandemic has changed these fundamentals. Any leader who displays these eight attributes will be creating an employee experience that will drive better business performance and enable organisations to attract and retain the talent they will need to survive the current crisis.

Line managers have a particularly important role to play. On a day-to-day basis they are the people that create positive work experiences for employees. They are the essential link to employees, able to assess and ameliorate morale and mindset in real-time. All organisations should be looking to find ways to empower line managers to take the steps they feel are appropriate to maintain and improve employee well-being.

II. Embrace radical flexibility

For many years, the flexible working discussion revolved around whether employees could be trusted to work from home on an occasional basis. The pandemic has been a catalyst in this debate. Now that working from home has become the default, employers and employees have benefited from the partial flexibility it has allowed. Many organisations, however, are beginning to face the challenge of reducing burnout in a workforce trying to work flexibly at home within a contractual framework that is designed for more traditional ways of working.

In order to combat the toll that the new ways of working have had on the mental health of employees, the next frontier of flexible working is to give people much more control over their time. The traditional model of working 9am to 5pm, 40 hours a week, with a fixed number of holidays no longer fits with the experience employees are looking for.

The discussion about flexible work in the future will be driven by trusting employees to deliver outcomes rather than focusing on their inputs (time and location, primarily). Introducing activations such as core working hours (e.g. 10am-3pm, with other hours worked at the employee’s discretion), shorter working weeks, increased holiday allowances and workplace closures, can all help people to make the new ways of working more compatible with their lives.

One of the greatest challenges of any crisis is that of helplessness; the feeling that everything is out of our hands. As organisations explore what radical flexibility could mean, there is an opportunity to regain a sense of control and to listen to what their people want. Many will be familiar with the Netflix high performance culture grounded in the trust that people will make good choices ‒ concepts such as unlimited vacation time or an expenses policy that is reduced to five words, “act in Netflix’s best interests”. Organisations don’t need to mirror this but, as with the Netflix example, they should listen to their people and identify solutions that will work for everyone. Applied successfully, organisations should see a reduction in employee burnout and the general toll that the current working conditions is having on mental health.

Conclusion

The future of work is now. Employers expected employees to adapt, almost overnight, to a different way of working. Now employers, too must adapt and look to the future in order to keep their current and prospective workforce engaged. Different organisations will find their own answers to the challenges that this presents. Failure to ensure that employees have empathetic leaders who truly embrace radical flexibility in the way their teams work will lead to a failure to offer the employee experience required to survive the pandemic and rebound robustly once the crisis has passed.

Download a PDF of this report here.

United Minds, a Weber Shandwick consultancy dedicated to organizational transformation, harnesses the power of people to solve critical business challenges. Get in touch at: [email protected]

[1] Siegrist, J. (1996). Adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 1, 27–41. doi: 10.1037/1076–8998.1.1.27

[2] The Workplace as a New Town Square, Weber Shandwick and KRC Research (July, 2020)

[3] Laszlo Bock, Work Rules!: Insights From Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead, (New York, Twelve Hachette Book Group, 2015), pg 195

by Kate Bullinger, President and Emily Caruso, SVP

“In these unprecedented times.” “Now, more than ever.” “You’re on mute.” Cue the eye roll…

These sentiments and phrases have become cliché precisely because they are true. They represent the experiences that we have both universally shared and the personal impact that we each uniquely feel as a result of the global pandemic.

And now, with 2020 ending in a very different way that we began it, grappling with immediate and far-ranging impacts we’re only beginning to understand, it’s important to reflect on what — to add another cliché to the mix — is shaping up to be the biggest transformation event of our lives.

So just how much has changed since we began 2020? In short, pretty much everything. Just take a look.

Where, when, and how we work. Right now, some of you will be reading this from your home office, seated at a desk behind a closed door that offers you more privacy than in your previously open office space. Some of you will be on the couch; either yours or at your aging parents. At least a few will be hiding in the bathroom, trying to keep out the noise from their children’s remote learning set-ups. Still others in our offices in Asia will be pioneering being back at the office, maintaining six feet of distance, looking through plexiglass dividers at masked co-workers.

Some will be working more than they ever have before, managing a constant flow of crises as clients work to figure out how to best navigate a fraught media, marketing, and employee landscape. Others will feel nervous as things start to slow. Some will clock in at 9 and sign off at 5 in the usual way. Others will work around the schedules that life demands of them, with little ability to plan week to week.

Each of these scenarios will provoke a range of emotions, many in direct conflict. For every person that feels a sense of solidarity as we navigate this together, another will feel truly alone. While some teams who have operated across regions and offices historically and will feel minimal disruption, others are getting used to video conference fatigue and finding ways to recreate the spark of creativity that might come from a chance encounter in the hall. For those who have been in the workforce longer, weathering the burst of the dotcom bubble and the Great Recession, this is yet another period of disruption that can, managed well, lead to more career opportunity. Those that are earlier in their careers might feel more vulnerable; their vision for progression thrown off-course.

Some people want to be back in the office as soon as possible, while others could — or need to — continue remote work for ever. Some of us are energized. Some of us are afraid. Many are both. With limited separation between work and life, we are even more apt to carry these emotions with us into our work and how we connect with others.

Who we work with, and what we work on. In our industry, we are no strangers to watching different elements of our business expand and contract based on economic and social trends. But rarely have we experience a more rapid transitions from in-demand industries, sectors, and areas of expertise to those that have more recently been more specialized. The technology and healthcare industries and associated business have remained strong and in some cases grown, creating new opportunities and new needs. Any business associated with travel and hospitality has been very significantly impacted. And new needs are emerging to support diversity, equity, inclusion, crisis, and employee engagement. This is translating into temporary (or more permanent) pauses on work that might have taken place consistently over the past few years, and client relationships that have taken time and energy to develop. It can also be a time to renew or expand relationships, as we check in on past and potential clients to understand the impacts of the pandemic and racial justice movement on their business, and what they plan to do about it.

It would be naïve not to acknowledge that client services can be particularly vulnerable in times of economic downturn, as companies make tough decisions about discretionary spending. This is particularly true of the current environment, where companies are also struggling to define how to appropriately engage in conversations including but not limited to health, policy, inequality, and justice. Within our own teams and for our clients, we are being asked to persevere through the measures that the business must take to weather the downturn. But the act of doing more with less can be a strong catalyst for creativity, and opportunity for professional growth.

Why we work. Putting necessity aside, finding meaning and purpose in the work that we do has become increasingly important over past decade, bolstered by a strong jobs market and significant demographic shifts. Much has been written about the values that Millennials hold dear and how they differ from previous generations, and with this demographic posed to make up 50% of the workforce in the next two years and 75% by 2025, these values were already on-track to become more predominant.

Despite the compression in the jobs market, the very nature of the circumstances by which we find ourselves here have contributed to many reevaluating their own values and doubling down on purpose. According to recent research that we completed in June in partnership with KRC and Weber Shandwick, 70% of employees in America are ready to take a stand for what is no longer acceptable and make a change for the better. That same research shows that 80% of people will prefer to buy from companies that treated their employees well during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s clear that employees want to work for and consumers want to buy from companies that take a stand.

Choosing a job based on purpose and values is often a privilege and one that not everyone has. But it shouldn’t stop us from seeking purpose in how we engage with one another, in the work that we do, and in the ideas and solutions that we bring to our clients.

So, what can we do about it? Consider the following principles, as well as some key questions that we should all consider, both for ourselves and our teams:

1. Build resilience. We must break out of the historical construct of work/life balance, focusing instead on a more flexible (and ideally, achievable) work/life integration. This will require being more in-tune with ourselves and our teams and intentional about maintaining physical and mental well-being. What it doesn’t require (but it can!) is elaborate planning — many of us don’t have the capacity for that right now. Instead, identify the small acts that will improve balance, from turning off the camera to taking walking meetings around your workspace to scheduling meetings five minutes past the hour to allow for time to do a quick meditation or read an article for fun.

Ask yourself: What are the healthy practices that you want to foster? What norms from the past few months should be challenged or extended?

2. Embrace the now. We also must acknowledge that in our industry — and client services as a whole — it’s becoming very clear that in most places we are looking at many more months of working from home, with only a few offices and special functions the exception. Whereas we might have put off making longer-term accommodations for ourselves and others so far, now is the time to reconsider.

Ask yourself: How can you make your personal spaces more accommodating? What different tools and technologies can be leveraged to better collaborate virtually?

3. Foster connection. Already we are seeing more collaboration across the IPG network, uncovering previously lesser-known pockets of expertise. We have to commit to being more deliberate in and expansive about how we engage, recognizing our biases for returning to the same small cohort of trusted advisors and seeking to expand beyond this group to bring in fresh perspectives and to build more multi-faceted talent and pipelines. In addition to helping to combat our own loneliness, by putting this into practice we will be stronger as a business and offer better solutions for our clients.

Ask yourself: What type of culture do we want to continue to cultivate, and how? How can we lean into our inherent creativity and ingenuity when managing existing relationships and cultivate new ones (both with our peers and with existing and new clients)?

4. Grow in new directions. As some projects are put on hold, many are raising hands to take on work across sectors or outside of previous disciplines. In doing so, they are recognizing that career progression does not just mean promotions and raises; building skills that they will be able to leverage long into the future can be a meaningful investment in the future. Beyond being personally fulfilling, outside perspectives often lead to breakthrough thinking and build equity in our business.

Ask yourself: How can I stretch myself to position for long-term career success? How can I apply my skills towards new and different challenges? What are my learning and development goals?

5. Practice grace. Finally, we must be more thoughtful in how we are interacting with each other, channeling our empathy and compassion, and granting one another flexibility. So too must we adopt these behaviors in how we are treating ourselves, extending that same grace internally as we seek to bestow it on others.

Ask yourself: How am I demonstrating our company values by fostering inclusivity and bringing the best of our business to my peers and to those we serve?

Change is hard. But change, done well, is a catalyst for growth. While the human toll of the pandemic can not be minimized in any way, it has shined a light on the work to be done at every level; personally, collectively, and institutionally. It is up to us to prioritize that work in 2020 and beyond.

United Minds, a Weber Shandwick consultancy dedicated to organizational transformation, harnesses the power of people to solve critical business challenges. Get in touch at: [email protected]