1. Determine your purpose & build a culture to support it
When we began this journey in January, it was clear that this pandemic would not only impact the health and well-being of our clients, subcontractors, and employees, but also the health of our industry and business. Our goal was to make sure everyone stayed healthy and employed—because the negative impact of losing a job is as real to our employees and their families as the virus itself.
So where do we start? With building a culture of trust.
Throughout this COVID-19 crisis, trust has emerged as one of the most important elements for success. A professional environment that fosters unity and trust enables the response plans and processes that protect employees and clients.
If people trust each other, they’ll speak up when needed and share information that could save you some major headaches—or even lives. And when everyone on your project team is committed to the well-being of their associates, they’re more likely to make safety-conscious decisions like:
- Staying home if unwell
- Reporting possible exposures immediately
- Practicing proper precautions because they do not want to risk exposing anyone else to the virus
But the process of building that culture starts at the top. To be effective, leaders must engage the entire organization and support those in the field. Everyone needs to listen and also communicate their intentions, what they’re open to, and what they think will or will not work.
With everyone on the same page, you can create a consistent culture and site response plan to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure for your employees, trade partners, clients, and community. It’s the first step to keeping people safe and adhering to regulations.