The challenge – use this unprecedented time of pure craziness to step up, plan and prepare our businesses for success following this crisis. The solution – use the RADD approach to make it happen.
I recently wrote about the RADD approach: Recognize, Adapt, Develop, Deploy (see previous post: Get RADD And Plan For Success Following Coronavirus Crisis)
We’re diving into each element of the RADD process a bit more over the next couple of weeks, and today is all about the “R” – Recognize.
Success starts by recognizing a situation for what it is and preparing your strategy before the time comes to capitalize on the opportunity.
To recognize something is to “acknowledge the existence” of it.
It’s easy, especially for creative professionals and innovative people like business owners, to think they know the facts.
There are a lot of reasons otherwise levelheaded people make irrational or ill-informed decisions during a crisis, or as they push for success. Ignoring facts or taking an extra moment to ensure accurate information shouldn’t be one of them.
But we shouldn’t guess or make decisions on what you THINK you know. We need to rely on facts and information to help us make informed decisions. We need to recognize the situation we’re in so we can respond and prepare accordingly.
This is especially true during a crisis when we are working in the moment, oftentimes with gaps of information. If you don’t have the info, recognize that and use what you do have to make your decisions.
Here’s the hard part – in the middle of any crisis, certainly one like Coronavirus, facts and information are coming in so quickly that it’s hard to keep up. Our reality can change minute-to-minute, which means we need to be ready to recognize that new reality and respond accordingly.
Here are some tips on ensuring you set yourself up to recognize the situation so you can adapt, develop and deploy your plans:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), he COVID-19 crisis “has been accompanied by a massive ‘infodemic’ – an over-abundance of information – some accurate and some not – that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.”
That means you need to find credible sources to rely on for unbiased up-to-date information. This could be industry leaders, official sources like the WHO, or others that you can rely on for accurate information to guide your decisions.
As leaders, entrepreneurs, CEOs and innovators, we need to surround ourselves with the right people who can help us translate often large amounts of information into actionable items.
Don’t try to identify opportunities or recognize issues on your own. Rely on the experts around you. Source your network and reach out to colleagues if necessary for experts who can guide you.
If you have a C-suite you can rely on, let them use their expertise to identify gaps to avoid and opportunities for success.
In the fast-paced world we navigate during a crisis, it’s easy to focus on getting through that one element of the crisis – the press conference, media statement, employee letter, website content, operational adjustment or one of another hundred things to consider.
Don’t get lost in managing the micro-elements and stay focused on accomplishing your long-term goals.
By training yourself to recognize new opportunities, new information and even when to reevaluate your plan, you’re taking the first step to ensuring you’re set up for success.
Most importantly, recognize that this crisis will end at some point and you need to be ready for the growth and success that is waiting on the other end.
Start putting these steps in to practice and you’ll set yourself up for success as we get through the coronavirus crisis.
Here are some additional resources for your crisis planning efforts as you adapt to your new worlds:
– Get RADD And Plan For Success Following Coronavirus Crisis
– There’s Still Time To Communicate During the Coronavirus Crisis
– Isolation Is Actually Connecting Us In Meaningful Ways
– Is Pitching Media A Good Idea During COVID-19?
– Internal Communications During A Crisis
– The Art & Science Of Making A Public Apology
– A Meaningful Message, Or Pandering Without Purpose
– Tips For Working From Home As Your New Normal
And here are some additional blogs to help with your strategic communications planning:
– Pitching Media Like The Pros
– 7 Tips for Successful Media Interviews
– Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of Effective
– Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat.
– How to Create Content That Engages Audiences and Builds Brand Trust Quickly
– 7 Tips to Measure Your Strategic Communications Campaigns
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