Everything has a silver lining.
And I mean everything. Even in times like these, when personally I’ve kind of lost faith in humanity, little things that spark joy and kindness happen. I think there’s hope that we can learn from this and become stronger and more conscious of everything we do.
That’s why I wanted to share a few of the encouraging initiatives I’ve seen. Besides being useful insights for communications and employer branding practitioners, leaders, and companies in general, these initiatives are inspiring and allow us to reflect on how we can do better for others.
Connecting with others
The internal comms and employer branding communities are made up of the most kind and supportive people I’ve ever met. Everyone is willing to give a hand to someone in need, share valuable insights on how to navigate the current situation or just connect with each other and have a chat. Just this week I chatted with Kristýna Babulíková and Oscar Sadler, with whom I had great conversations around employer branding and various resources available. I also talked to Claudia Coco, who is creating great content to impact the well-being of teams around the world from an internal comms perspective. I’m truly moved by all of the people out there.
Companies creating value
Not only are people stepping up but organizations are as well, and it’s really encouraging. I’ve seen countless free resources such as webinars, guides, white papers, consultations and even super practical documents like worksheets from all kinds of companies like Both People and Comms, Link Humans, Scarlett Abbott and HBR, among others. In a sea of companies trying to continue to market themselves in some way, these examples stand out with helpful and valuable advice that goes beyond the typical “set up a collaboration tool, keep people informed and keep a routine when working at home” types of messages.
Time to see what matters the most
Experiences like these help us to understand what’s most valuable to us, not only regarding family and friends but in our professional lives as well. Light is being shed on the importance of being together with coworkers, our need for human connection even if we’re introverts (hi there!) and remembering it’s okay to be human, etc. And beyond that, people sharing these moments or feelings help all of us to feel understood. Also, personally, it has shown me again how grateful I am for having a place to live where I can be “bored” because a lot of people don’t have a home and are all alone during this time.
Employees are being taken care of
I can’t say all companies, but a lot of them are taking care of their employees’ needs right now. This post by Paul O’Callaghan from SumUp is proof of that, and there are a lot of companies out there doing what they can for their people. And while not everyone can work from home and not everyone can be safe, companies have done an amazing job of protecting their workers mainly from contagion and stress while they work. I won’t name any businesses because there are so many out there that deserve our admiration and support.
Support through job search and income issues
While some people have lost part of their income or their jobs and others are worried about how they will pay their employees next month, there are people helping others through this situation in any way they can. Rachel Miller from All Things IC, JT O’Donnell from Work It Daily and VMA Group are a few examples of people helping people through difficult times. I saw an article about how coronavirus-related jobs are in demand right now, and I’ve seen it firsthand in the food and grocery delivery sector with companies like Tipti recruiting people via social media.
Finally, memes
Thank God for memes. Here are a few I read today. And please don’t forget about pet pics. They make this world better. ❤️
I’m sure there are a lot of other good things that have come from this crisis. The thing is, we’re learning how to navigate all of this, and individuals, teams, companies and governments have an excellent opportunity to give their employees and citizens a safe and anxiety-free experience to the extent they are able. And I think if we do it right, we can build stronger companies and stronger societies that will be more resilient in the future.
If there are any more silver linings you’d like to share, please do.