In the second year of the pandemic, the old problem of an absent manager acquires a new urgency. Here are some idea starters on how organizations can rally their mid-level cadre to push through the fatigue of a long-haul crisis.

Our short memories are one of the biggest risks in crisis management. To safe-guard against it, the world should introduce a global Crisis Preparedness Day so we don’t forget the human cost of the mega crises like COVID-19 and remember the reasons why organizations and countries should commit to preparedness with the right resources, mindsets and best practices.

Blue Monday – allegedly the saddest day of the year – is upon us, and it may be hard to see light at the end of the tunnel. This blog offers insights into psychology to help leaders enable growth during trying times.

A medical catastrophe at its core, COVID-19 is triggering multiple secondary disasters, from a shock to national economies to layoffs to travel bans to mental health issues. Unsurprisingly, this global mega crisis has exposed stress points in our structures of preparedness.

Thanks to COVID-19, many organizations are now virtual teams working from home, and internal communication is more critical than ever. It’s also more difficult. This blog looks at some common employee challenges and how to handle them.

When Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos said: “We seek to be Earth’s most customer-centric company” two decades ago, it was a bold claim. Today, we’d be hard-pressed to find an organization that doesn’t put its customers first. The argument of this blog: to be customer-centric, organizations must become employee-centric first.

There should be a close relationship between Management and Boards of Directors, and that is particularly true during a crisis. Many organizations do not include, or even mention, their Board in their crisis plans. However, some are learning – often the hard way – that guidance and oversight matter the most when stakes are high.

Traditional media is shrinking. But while there’s fewer media, there’s more news. In fact, we are in a state of content shock. Anyone with a smartphone can publish anything about anything, from oppressive governments to bad customer service to unfair employers. So, are we witnessing a decline or resurgence of earned media?

As much as we hear “nothing personal” at work, it’s always personal – or we don’t care. The C in the C-Suite could stand for Connection. Getting it right is about finding your way to stay true to your audience.

There you are, about to do a media interview. What if you have a mental block? What if the reporter blind-sides you? What if… Here’s some good news: great spokespeople are not made in heaven. They make themselves great through these three P’s of success – Practice. Practice. Practice.