Since the White House recently issued “Opening Up America Again,” federal guidelines to reopen the U.S. economy and public-gatherings through a three-phase approach…
And since state and local governments created and are executing their own frameworks to gradually lift stay-at-home orders, with important differences in each locality…
Leaders are re-entering (or planning to) into what will be a fundamentally different world and model of gathering and operating.
As you make your plans, here are some suggestions to ponder on:
1. Evaluate everything through the lenses of your mission.
Don’t be discouraged or cry over spilled milk if you’re unable to get into your physical space yet.
I’ve watched churches, companies and gyms actually GAIN influence and impact without meeting in a physical space.
The mission can happen without meeting in physical locations. The space enhances the mission; the mission doesn’t serve the space.
2. Honor your governing authorities.
Now you can pick a fight with your mayor, governor, or state officials if you want…but the bible teaches us to honor those in leadership.
This is a time to be talking to them, become friends with them and plug into what they’re doing.
3. Take a multi-phase approach.
Don’t wing your plan or make it up on the fly.
Map out re-entry into multiple phases.
Then, equally as important, communicate your plan exhaustively. Prepare internally, communicate externally. Use social media, email, and anything else at your disposal to create clarity around your plan.
4. Give yourself room for flexibility.
Be careful on communicating dates right now.
If you use one, let people know you’re working towards it but don’t promise a date.
You don’t know what 90 days looks like. Plan, don’t promise.
5. Consider every member of the family.
Don’t just think through the one person who uses your facility. Think about what people are doing with their kids.
- If you own a gym, how do you provide for everyone in the family?
- If you employ a team, but childcare facilities and schools are still closed, how do you work with your team to care for their families? I
- f you lead a church, how are you ensuring safety for children and communicating safety plans to parents?
6. Assemble all of your leaders ahead of time.
None of your leaders really know how to do this. We’re all in new territory.
It took time to adjust to leading during quarantine, it will take time to learn to re-enter a new normal.
Have some preview times where your team learn to do a “soft opening.”
Test the process. Run the play. Acclimate to the new normal.
7. Don’t abandon seven-days-a-week engagement.
Yes, re-entering your space is great…but you’ve learned your influence and impact can be broader if you think beyond just the physical space.
Keep thinking online, keep innovating and keep enhancing after hours engagement.
Does all of this seem like A LOT?
It actually is a lot. Frankly, it’s too much to do alone. That’s why at CourageToLead we believe, “Every Leader Needs a Coach”…because no leader can do it all alone!
