INNTEL Recovery Purple Paper

The need for team building. Teams will need to: • come together in groups again • learn to rebuild confidence with each other, and • perhaps be more tolerant of each other’s weaknesses. Employees will need to overcome their fears and be able to switch from negative to positive thoughts. CHX has interesting input on the importance of positive emotions: many will have experienced the benefit of positive emotions from others over these past few weeks; they might have been feeling fear and anxiety then had a call with a friend or colleague who is feeling positive emotions such as hope and optimism. The effect is powerful and has real benefits, not least reducing stress which in turn supports the immune system. As we move into the period of transition, we are going to need this more than ever. Research from Ipsos also highlights how people have had to adapt to changing, unstable environments and making different decisions. “How we navigate in a fluid time can no longer depend on automatic behaviours, as they may reflect a mastery of a past that no longer exists,” the research points out. This study focused on how brands interact with consumers, but can also apply to companies re-engaging with their employees: while it can be tempting for organisations to go into cost- containment mode in times of distress, they actually have a unique window to earn trust by maintaining presence and delivering relevant value in a time of heightened anxiety. 4 Opportunity knocks. There is also an opportunity to do things better than before Covid. Teambuilding sessions can help companies bring employees together to maintain the tangible spirit of kindness and generosity that Covid has sparked, and leverage it to the benefit of the business, its clients and its CSR programmes. 4 https://www.ipsos.com/sites/ default/files/ct/publication/ documents/2020-03/ coronavirus-behavior-change- ipsos.pdf inntel.co.uk