We are going through a collective trauma right now.
Unemployment is skyrocketing.
Companies are scaling back and laying off whole offices.
Thousands are dead, and we’re just scraping the surface.
The companies that are in the enviable position to not only feel stable, but to continue to hire in this economy should expect employees to have a dip in productivity right now, adjust their expectations, and communicate that as okay to their teams.
What’s not okay is putting an employee on a “Performance Improvement Plan” (aka “PIP”) in the middle of a global pandemic.
When people are under shelter-in-place orders, and having to weigh the safety of simply going out for groceries while also worrying about loved ones in other states. The last thing they need is “leaders” dangling their job security over their heads as well.
Moments of crisis tend to reveal who people really are. Do you want to be a leader, or do you just want power?
Take a moment and think before you react.