AIM: A Strategic Plan to Preventing Covid-19 from Stopping Your Business.

Business Must Go On

The Covid-19 pandemic has become a global crisis that challenged organizations, businesses, and governments.

The level of challenge to business top management is both daunting and unprecedented. This does not mean, however, that there is no way to effectively manage the pandemic and ensure that business continues or gain a certain level of control over disruptions to your business.

If you are a manager, this article will allow you to gain a way to create a strategic mindset to overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenge that the pandemic has brought to your organization.

If you are a rank and file employee, this article will help you know that there are basic things you can do that have a strategic impact on your organization. The Pandemic is also Economic

Everyone should understand that the pandemic is not just a public health crisis. It is also at the very fundamental level an economic crisis.

A balanced assessment of the impact of the pandemic on public health and on the economy will tell us that the economic impact of the pandemic may have a more serious overall implications for societies and countries across the world. Hence, it is imperative for all to see the whole picture and not just look at the problem as a purely public health issue.

Business leaders or top executives of organizations should, therefore, play a more visible role in ensuring that the economic side of the pandemic is managed very well.

Balance is the Key

The interest of the public health and the interest of the economic sector should be balanced if countries are to win the fight against Covid-19.

Most countries that went on lockdowns did not emerge from it better than they were before the lockdowns. Only a number of countries seem to have effectively beaten the spread of the pandemic within their borders.

However, these relatively successful countries remain wary that their victory is not yet final. They know that for as long as no effective vaccine or cure is developed, everyone must remain on guard and continue the fight.

Letting the businesses operate while keeping the fight for everyone’s health is a balancing act that leaders and people should master. Tools We Need

There are management tools business leaders can use to provide sufficient defense against the spread of Covid-19 among their employees. Like most tools, these need to be modified or calibrated to make them precisely suitable for each organization. There is no one-size-fits-all.

Leaders should assess their organizations first, then see which tools are applicable, and finally, determine what calibration should be done to make them perfectly fit for them.

Among these tools are, risk assessment, hazard analysis and critical control points (#HACCP), #ISO standards for occupational health and safety, regulatory and legal resources, leadership style, strategic communication, etc. Possibility vs. Probability

Understanding the risk posed by the spread of Covid-19 should be the starting point for any effective measures against the pandemic. A faulty understanding of the risk can be catastrophic to a business organization.

The question, what is the possibility that our organization will be shut down indefinitely because of the spread of Covid-19, is simply irrelevant.

Rather the question should be, What is the probability that our organization will shut down indefinitely because of the spread of Covid-19? There has to be a matrix that can be used to measure the status of the organization.

The SARS Cov-2 virus that causes Covid-19 is already in the wild. Until a vaccine or cure is developed, our fight to stopping its spread should be based on probability, not on a possibility.

Measure is Our Power to Control

We cannot solve an undefined problem. And we cannot control something that we cannot measure.

What is our problem? Our problem is the spread of Covid-19 among our employees which could lead to the shutdown of company operations or at least force the organization to scale down substantially its operations.

This is the problem. It must be shared with all members of the organization. How do you measure the problem? We can measure the problem by setting and categorizing the ratio of Covid-19 incidents against the total population of the organization.

Hence, this matrix:

People Are People

The matrix can serve as a mind map to help leaders and their people better see the problem, address the problem, and overcome the problem.

Without the matrix, the top management would be blind and will have difficulty addressing the problem. In such a situation, it would not be surprising if leaders start blaming people instead of empowering them to win the daily battle and achieve a strategic victory for the organization.

People are psychological beings. The pandemic is also taking its toll on people’s sense of security and safety. Some of them are perhaps already very anxious and even panicky. How do people cope with stress and anxiety? By talking about the problem and venting their fears on a forum they know best – social media.

Let’s AIM to Win

Can we win the battle against the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace? I believe we can, provided that we have a good plan.

Having a plan gives the organization a surer guarantee to win the battle. Those who don’t plan are planning to fail.

In the previous slides, we have identified some of the management tools that can be used to achieve victory against the problem. Foremost of these are the HACCP, the ISO standards for occupational safety and health called ISO 45001, and strategic communication. Combining these three tools could deliver success.

If we are consistent in the application of these management tools there is no reason why we cannot win against Covid-19. It is Our AIM!

AIM stands for Act, Inform, and Manage.

AIM is a systematic approach to helping organizations win the fight against Covid-19 spread. It is anchored on the philosophical conviction that people within the organization are more than willing to do things for their interests and those of their friends and fellowmen. But this happens only when they are sufficiently educated and empowered to do so.

Hence, AIM is all about educating people what they should do and how they should do it, what knowledge they must acquire to shield themselves from rumors and hearsay that only undermine their confidence to win, and the strategic role of leaders in managing the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Ready AIM Fire!

A- Action is the goal of education. You can transfer a load of knowledge to people, but unless they act upon that knowledge nothing can change. Action creates. Action makes things. Action delivers. Action wins. Action is real.

We educate our people to act. Something that people don’t do, they tend to forget. So, we should understand that education is performative. It is something that must be actuated. They must do it.

What are those actions that we should ask our employees to do regularly, sustainably, and consistently?

Everyone should focus on doing these things to beat the problem. Make these performative things as easy as possible so that it becomes natural for people to do it.

Remember, it takes 28 days to develop a new habit.

This diagram shows that employees straddle between their community and the company. Consistently performing these actions will have a huge impact on the fight against Covid-19 spread.

Easy the AIM

Mnemonic is a great way to help people to remember things. This is crucial to winning the fight.

The 3Ws are the basic minimum standard/protocol being required by the government for people to do.

3W stands for Wear your facemask properly (covering the nose and mouth snugly) at all times except when eating or drinking, Watch your proper distance (2 meters is the best), and Wash your hands properly (scrubbing the palm, back of the hands, and between fingers) and regularly (after holding or touching something) for 20 seconds.

All these are sufficient to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace. They are 100% doable. If everyone will diligently do these, Covid-19 cannot spread in the workplace.

Easy the AIM

The 3Cs are another mnemonic that stands for Crowded places (places where people are densely gathered), Confined spaces (locations where there is poor to no ventilation), and Close-contact settings (are social engagement where people talk closely to each other).

Avoiding these situations inside and outside the workplaces will help eliminate the chance of contracting Covid-19. We should, therefore, avoid attending parties and social similar gatherings.

The Venn Diagram in the previous slide is a graphic illustration of your role as an individual and employee in beating the spread of Covid-19.

Share the AIM

I- Information is craved by humans. Humans are natural information creators and sharers. According to Aristotle, humans by nature desire to know.

This natural predisposition can either be bad or good. Organizational psychology can help us tap this human nature through positive reinforcement.

Employees want to know how their organization is doing against Covid-19. Hence, it is legitimate for them to be informed that today, for instance, we have 3 cases in the HR Department, or that there are 2 cases in the Operations Department. And based on the Matrix we are in Category 1 (Minor). Everyone, therefore, should regularly, sustainably, and consistently do the 3Ws and 3Cs.

Concerns about Data Privacy Law is overblown as the law is very specific on what personal information and personal data are. Management’s sharing of abstract information that is necessary for organizational and business operations does not violate laws on data privacy. Tell the AIM

Statistical information about the pandemic can help both leaders and employees make sense of their situation. For instance, if your organization has 4 Covid-19 incidents you may think that your organization is doing poorly in preventing the spread of Covid-19. However, if you compare your organization with other companies in the same industry, you could see a better picture of how the situation is and so you could pursue the action plans to beat the problem.

Often times people have a tendency to think of problems negatively and to see things bad when the truth is the situation is actually brighter. In other words, statistical information helps you contextualize things and give you a better way of dealing with the problem.

It is important for leaders and employees alike to know the real picture so that the organization can act accordingly. Focus on the numbers. Everything is in the numbers.

M is for Manage

M- Managing people at a time of pandemic is not an easy task. But blaming people would only make the situation worse, like what the government is doing.

As we have said, people act reasonably most of the time. The key lies in helping people to consistently do their part to achieve organizational objectives.

From the leadership perspective, there is no magic bullet for Covid-19. The problem can only be managed.

Luckily, there are tools to choose from to get the job done. Here, we follow the AIM Approach.

We shall educate our people to consistently perform (act) their assigned responsibilities, such as 3Cs and 3Ws. We shall inform them to help them understand the situation in a more intelligent manner and build their confidence to win the battle. Then, our leaders shall manage through strategic communication.

Organizing for AIM

Per Philippine OSH law, organizations are required to create an Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Committee. The OSH Committee is the organization’s policy making body tasked to ensure that the workplaces are healthy and safe for everyone.

The advent of Covid-19 is not only unprecedented. It is also severely disruptive to organizational operations. The psychological, economic, legal, and socio-political dimensions of the pandemic are beyond the competence of the OSH Committee.

Therefore, bigger organizations should create an Adhoc Covid-19 Team that would undertake the effective implementation of the AIM Approach.

What Shall the Adhoc Covid-19 Team Do?

•It shall be composed of all Department Managers with the General Manager as the Captain.

•It shall meet at least weekly to report on the performance of the organization, discuss problems and search for solutions to them, and analyze information and data that could lead to opportunities for improvement.

•It shall cause the release of statistical information compliant, relevant, and meaningful to all interested parties.

•It shall review the progress and performance of the AIM Approach.

•It shall remain in existence and function as such until the Covid-19 pandemic shall have been deemed to be over.

Deliver for AIM

Launch a creative campaign to promote 3Ws and 3Cs. This may include a jingle, a life-size tarp of employees with a photogenic and pleasing personality, and a regular and consistent public address system reminding people to do hand disinfection steps, disinfection of their personal items such as ballpen, mousepads, cellular phones, wristwatches, bracelets, etc.

Find creative ways to educate people about personal hygienic practices they can do at home that will help them fight Covid-19 spread. Personal hygienic practices could include daily rinsing of the nose with saline solution, gargling of mouthwash, brushing of teeth at least 3 times a day, among other oral care practices.

Explore tantalizing ways to educate people on what they should do upon arriving home from work or any social setting.

The key is to educate people in the most effective way. Let them participate in brainstorming at the group level. Supervisors can facilitate this.

Tackle the AIM

Information has always been the most important asset. With the right information, problems can be solved and issues can be overcome. So, we should ask what are the information we should know, share, and focus on?

Let us consider these questions.

•How does the virus that causes Covid-19 infect people?

•How does it enter the body?

•What are the early symptoms of Covid-19?

•How fast does it invade one’s nasal and oral cavities?

•Are asymptomatic people infectious?

•When is a Covid-19 positive individual most infectious?

•Are there Covid-19 transmissions occurring in the workplace?

•How do we determine where people contract Covid-19?

•If I suspect that I have a Covid-19 what shall I do? How shall I protect my family and co-workers?

•Do I violate the law if I misdeclared information in the daily health checklist?

•If I violated the law on the daily health checklist, can that be a ground for dismissal from employment?

•Who reviews and checks the daily health checklist?

•Will daily updates on the number of Covid-19 cases in the plant help our organization?

•What escalation actions shall be done when a certain number of Covid-19 cases is reached.

•How does our organization compare with similar organizations in your locality in terms of Covid-19 cases?

*These are some of the questions that can help you determine which information are relevant to your organization’s strategic goals

Context is the AIM

What is the value of sharing to employees material information related to the fight against Covid-19?

•It helps people understand better their situation.

•It makes people aware of how important their individual actions are to win the fight against Covid-19.

•It allows people to see the situation clearly and unmistakably.

•It compels people to keep their guard and continue the fight.

•It empowers people to contribute to strategic victory.

•It reduces people’s level of anxiety by overcoming their fear of the unknown (uncertainty).

•It helps people to have a certain level of control over their lives.

•It gives people a sense of responsibility.

It creates in the people a sense of community.

Manage the AIM

This pandemic has become a moment of truth to many. Your attitude to this moment of truth can be your victory or defeat. Ask these questions:

•Do we have a strategic plan for Covid-19?

•Do we share the strategic plan to the organization?

•Who are the key leaders tasked with specific responsibilities that can be measured?

•What are the attainable performative actions that the organization can do?

•How valid are the baselines for the matrix and the plan of actions?

•When shall the organization escalate/deescalate things based on its matrix for the plan of action?

Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) is the foremost management tool that organizations engaged in critical activities should adopt to deal with Covid-19. Those familiar with this tool can attest to its efficacy in dealing with controlling situations that could potentially disrupt the operations or imperil the quality of the products being made. In HACCP, the virus that causes Covid-19 can be categorized as a type of contamination. This contamination can occur in three ways:

•Particulate – A particulate should not be in the workplace.

•Microbial – Germs, bacteria, molds, viruses are pathogens that should not be at the workplace.

•Cross flow/backflow – Reduce if not eliminate cross movement of people and materials. No contamination can take place without contact.

HACCP is a basic tool used by food manufacturing organizations. In the HACCP system, people are limited in their areas only. A breach of this rule is very costly as breaches are automatically considered that contamination occurred.

This system is appropriate for fighting Covid-19 spread in all workplaces.

Another tool that can help the organization fight the Covid-19 is the ISO 45001 or the Occupational Safety & Health Management System. This standard has replaced the OHSAS 18001. Clauses number 4 (Context of the organization) and 5 (Leadership and worker participation) should be the starting point for building an effective method to fight the spread of Covid-19. Since ISO standards now follow the high-level language, risk-based thinking is a requirement. Here, the organization should understand how did it determine its context, what risks it has identified, what control measures and mitigations are in place, and whether these are sufficient to meet the identified risks.

The same standard requires leadership to allow worker participation in ensuring and keeping a safe and healthy workplace. In larger organizations, the EHS (sometimes SHE or HSE) Department is tasked to address these issues. Compliance to ISO standards are usually structured this way:

•Regulatory Compliance (GMP-Good Manufacturing Practice)

•Use of the scientific method to ensure safety and quality of products (HACCP, DMAIC, Six Sigma, etc.)

•Maintenance of a management system/s for the entire organization (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 22000, etc.)

The most important tool that the management can employ to win the fight against Covid-19 is strategic communication.

*What is strategic communication?

For simplicity, we shall define it as the delivery of a structurally unified message for all interested parties with the aim of achieving clearly defined objectives. No matter how good our plan is if we cannot get the message across to all interested parties it would be impossible to achieve our clearly defined objectives.

The Adhoc Covid-19 Committee shall be the key player in strategic communication. Employee engagement is not limited to attending employee concerns or employee complaints. Employee engagement should be a cultural subset of the mission and vision of the organization.

Getting the participation and collaboration of the various departments and their heads is the start.

*Strategic communication presupposes that the organization has a strategic plan

Let’s Do the AIM

Our Strategic Plan shall be structured as our collective AIM.

Our Strategic Plan shall be our way to managing Covid-19.

Our Strategic Plan shall be drawn from our mission, vision, and values as an organization.

Our Strategic Plan shall tap the natural ingenuity, skill, and knowledge of our people.

Let us all AIM for a Workplace In better Normal (WIN)!

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