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COVID-19 has created challenges for nearly every market, and the medical device manufacturing industry is no exception. As the virus sweeps the globe, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for leaders to overcome the arising challenges and prepare for the future.
While I firmly believe the key to navigating this evolving landscape is putting quality at the forefront of all activities, a function made seamless through best of breed quality management tools, I was curious what other industry leaders had to say.
The following are some of their best tips for effectively leading and managing teams during the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing your organization for what’s to come.
Keep in touch. Let your people know where things stand with the business. At home or in the office practicing social distancing, each of your workers will be dealing with different issues, both private and professional. The distributed workforce requires even more channels to help people stay connected.
“Leadership needs to provide regular communication, be transparent about the impact of the pandemic on your company, and set expectations with your team, investors, partners, and customers. There is a great deal of uncertainty in the world, and clarity from management is one of the keys to a healthy organization.” — Paul Grand, CEO, MedTech Innovator
Be sensitive to employees’ personal situations. Every member has their own worries and family needs during this crisis. Review goals and when needed realign expectations to match current circumstances.
Balance the content. Focus on efficiency in meetings to ensure your team still has time to do their work and manage their personal situation. The recommended time for meetings should be 15 minutes with no more than 4 people per meeting
Office time should be reduced. To avoid conflicts, make sure yo manage expectations. Be clear about your expectations and the expectation from your team during these challenging times. The last thing you want to do is have misunderstandings or conflicts with a good working team.
The key purpose of a leader is to continuously motivate and support the team. Talk about work-life structures, supporting flexible working arrangements, and vocalizing empathy towards your workmates. As a leader, you must empower them to deliver their best work while being absolutely empathetic towards challenges in their life.
Focus on the fact that COVID-19 is temporary. The natural instinct may be to slow down and withdraw resources. Instead, this is an excellent time to strategically plan and dedicate time, staff, and resources to ensuring that the post-pandemic time capitalizes on key changes.
Just because you can’t conduct research the way you always have doesn’t mean you can’t conduct research at all. It is important to stay flexible with the research methods you use. Understanding the pros and cons of each method and their overall ability to contribute to your research goal is critical to conducting meaningful and useful research.
All companies are working to lead their teams through today’s challenges with confidence. By taking care of your team and keeping quality you will improve the teamwork collaboration, communication, and transparency.
