I agree that if you want the very best level of human performance during this crisis when your employees return to work, it is vital your people feel that you are doing what needs to be done to ensure their safety. Physical protection in the workplace surroundings is vital for employees to experience psychological safeguards that everything has been done. You must do everything you can do to mitigate any worry and anxiety about physical protection.

This will send a message about what your organization’s brand stands for to your people and your customers. A resounding message that you care deeply their life and wellness, and merely productivity and the bottom-line.

What will be different for the vast majority of leaders will be that they will be dealing for the first time with a serious human physical safety issues affecting life or the possibility of death. The U.S. Military deals with “life or death issues” every time men and women are sent into combat zones. Public utilities, manufacturing and chemical companies deal with such issues every day in their plants.

COVID-19 has elevated concerns of workplace safety and has raised the following questions:

• How to physically redesign the work environment to minimize the entry of and the transmission of the virus in workplace?

• What daily processes and practices will you have to be activated to operationalize that minimization?

• How will employees be protected who will be at higher risk because of their age or due to underlying conditions?

Adopt the mindset when you want to bring your employees back to work if this would be suitable if your daughter, son, spouse or significant other wanted to come work in your organization?

This must be your mindset when you need to consider the “when” and the “how” you will bring your employees back to work?

About Jim Woods

Jim is President of Woods Kovalova Group with offices in Denver, CO, and Ukraine. He has advised and trained Fortune 1000 companies, U.S. Military, Government, small business and individuals seeking performance improvement. Jim is a former U.S. Navy Seabee and earned a master’s degree in organizational development and human resources. He has taught leadership and human resources at Villanova, Colorado Technical University and Dickinson University. To have Jim work with your organization schedule an appointment here.