Human resilience: What your people need during COVID-19
March 20, 2020
March 20, 2020
Responsible leadership has taken on an even deeper meaning, as our workforces and our customers find themselves in an unfamiliar, fast-moving global environment. COVID-19 has changed the way we live and work already, with far-reaching impact. Leading with compassion and caring for our workforces and communities is more essential than ever.
Virtually all companies are still determining how we change the way we work, short- and long-term. But speed is of the essence, as our workforces and communities try to function and perform, while struggling to cope with what is happening in their daily lives.
We are helping Chief Human Resources Officers, CEOs and boards navigate the leadership challenges in this new reality. We share a few brief insights from Accenture workforce research spanning 15,600+ global workers in 10 countries and 15 industries. Our study highlights what workers need from leaders in three basic areas: physical, mental and relational. These needs apply at all times, but they are magnified in crisis. Leaders who rise to the challenge will help their people develop human resilience—the ability to adapt and engage through difficult times.
These worker needs apply at all times, but they are magnified in times of crisis.
People need to trust leaders always. But especially now.
Distilled to one essential message: your workforce is looking to trust you. And it will trust if it believes leadership cares for each individual, the community, and humanity as a whole.
Beyond caring, leaders must show they have a plan. You don’t have to know everything, but you do need to be transparent about what is driving decisions. A leadership team that looks ahead proactively, and responds rather than reacts, goes a long way toward helping people in volatile times.
The ability for leaders to address people’s physical, mental and relationship needs is the foundation of trust. While all of these needs have equal importance, there is an order in which they make the biggest difference.
As the situation unfolds, we will continuously update our materials, so please check back regularly.