Today on the Daily Grind, Michael Kurland, CEO of Branded Group shared how suppliers can successfully take advantage of available Covid-19 resources, support their employees, and prepare their business for a new normal. Branded Group is a nationwide team delivering industry-leading customer experiences that create loyal brand champions for multi-site commercial facilities.
“At Branded Group, our employees are our number one priority, and unfortunately with the pandemic we had to furlough more than 50% of our workforce as I’m sure many other companies were forced to do. By furloughing them it’s allowed us to keep their health benefits active. We really wanted to ensure everyone was taken care of to the best of our abilities during this complex time. Also, by taking this step we’re able to take them back on after the pandemic passes and work returns to normal. “
Michael, reflected on the past few weeks, “We’re really focusing on communication right now to our employees. My number one priority is that they know exactly what’s happening in real-time from me, so they feel part of the family and not disconnected. We’re really encouraging our employees to be vulnerable right now. These are not normal times, and to expect them to operate the same in this environment is a recipe for disaster.
We’re doing daily and weekly emails to employees to ensure they stay engaged and informed whether their furloughed or not. We’ve even started a new tradition called “Thankful Thursdays” where we push everyone to stay positive and try to break the doldrums of life in social distancing,” said Kurland.
“When it comes to how to position leadership during the crisis, both Bill and Michael agreed that authenticity is the way to go. “If you try to tell everyone it’s going to be okay, that’s a lie,” Kurland emphasized. “You don’t know. The reality is no one knows, and if people around you can see you acknowledge that, but still stay pragmatic and optimistic, you’ll keep everyone moving in the same direction. Being vulnerable and direct is how I’ve always carried myself and will continue to do so through this pandemic and moving forward.”
“How we’ve moved forward with our clients has taken a massive pivot as well. There’s not the normal day-to-day break fixes happening. There’s a ton of COVID focus cleanings; we’ve practically become masters at it as the stores that are remaining open are doing their best to stay as safe as possible. For the ones that are closed, a lot of board-ups; just getting in there and making sure their safe and secure against any kind of break-ins and weather.”
In closing Michael adds “The take-away from all of this is yes, parts of this are the new normal, and its important we learn how to treat our employees and clients with care and compassion while we navigate these tricky times, and do our best to learn lessons to be prepared should it happen again. We’ll make it through this smarter and closer connected then ever. I’m sure of that,” Kurland concluded.
