Committed to excellence, tenacious and with a wide working capacity, Lucía Casanueva, managing partner of PROA, explains in an interview for Influyentes Cantabria the importance of communication in the post-COVID era.
According to the managing partner of PROA, now the internal communication is the most relevant. Employees who keep their jobs after restructuring and in a framework of uncertainty are afraid and this affects their impact: anxiety; insecurity about the future and loss of motivation.
To return to full performance, it is essential to have a professional team that is fully engaged. Companies should have a business plan with realistic objectives and a bimonthly review of these objectives.
In business communication post-Covid the figure of the leader is more necessary than ever. Employees need to see the boss at the helm and will look not only at his or her professional competence but also at his or her personality. The top executive will need to be sensitive and empathetic to the team, recognise the company's situation, explain the measures and solutions being implemented and set the course.
The internal transparency will also be essential in the performance of the business in times of pandemic. If it is always necessary for an employee to be informed of what is going on, it will now be critical. A transparent, clear and timely message backed by good management will be essential. Now more than ever, communication must open the door to genuine dialogue and questions will need to be met with answers and the option to cross-examine. Employees will need to know what is going on and what the roadmap is.
Communication in the post-COVID era will need to be guided by the exemplarity which will be a fundamental requirement because after asking the staff to make great sacrifices, they will have to perceive that superfluous expenses are being cut while strictly necessary investments are being made. It is also necessary to focus on the customer and ensure that the entire professional team sees the satisfaction of customer expectations as the key to business success. This conviction must also be conveyed to the rest of the company's relevant publics (suppliers, authorities, potential customers, employers' associations, etc.).
Casanueva concludes that what will help us the most in this post-COVID era of business communication will be the positivism and motivation. Patience must be combined with humanity and storytelling with factual truthfulness. Communication in the post-COVID era is the most important intangible asset of any business from SME to large corporation.