IBJ's Beyond COVID

Are you keeping a crisis journal? A detailed log of the decisions your company is making and why, plus all the circumstances—internal and external—that affected those decisions? Dave Luter says you should. He's a consultant at Netlogx, an Indianapolis company that helps other firms manage change and challenges. Netlogx has been working to help clients navigate the difficulties of the pandemic. And one of its key pieces of advice to business leaders is to keep a crisis journal. And to do it every day because the situation and information has been changing so quickly.  Dave walks us through the crisis journal concept and why it might work for you. -- For more information, check out a toolkit created by Netlogx that includes a webinar featuring Dave talking in more detail about steps companies can take to weather the pandemic. -- IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance.   -- Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

FirstPerson, a human resources consulting firm in Indianapolis, is talking to customers about how to bring their employees back to work — all while setting up its own process for doing so. Paul Ashley, a FirstPerson senior vice president and adviser, discusses how to talk with employees about coming back to work, how to address increasing mental health needs of workers, and the ways in which the workplace may change.  He also talks about a number of resources that companies can use to prepare and implement upcoming changes. Here are the links: FirstPerson: Ensuring a Safe and Prosperous Return to the Workplace FirstPerson COVID-19 Resource Hub CICP Return-to-Work Playbooks Paul Ashley: Reducing the Stigma --   BJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance.   -- Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

How long is your business plan? Does it fit on one page? Leadership coach Craig P. Anderson says too many companies create business plans that are dozens, if not hundreds of pages long and are just too complicated to follow.  As president of his previous company, Student Connections, and his work at Strada Education Network and JPMorgan Chase, Craig says he learned that a concise, straightforward business plan is the key to success—not just in normal times, but especially now, when the economy has been thrown for a loop. Through his company, Clear Path Coaching and Consulting, he leads business leaders through the process of creating a one-page plan. And today, he’s going to share with us how to do it. -- IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance.   -- Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

As Indiana begins the process of reopening its economy, there are no doubt plenty of contracts you may need to renegotiate. Maybe it’s a lease for your space or a vendor in your supply chain. Maybe it’s a contract with a customer. Those negotiations aren’t easy. That’s why we asked Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow—an assistant professor of law and management at the IU Kelley School of Business—to help us figure out the best way to navigate them. She talks about techniques like “slicing the salami” and “taking it to the balcony,” and she tell us why Zoom and other video conferencing tools are a great way to negotiate. The key, she says, is knowing what you truly need and what the other side needs as well. -- IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance.   -- Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Nancy Koehn—a historian, Harvard Business School professor and our guest on Beyond COVID—did a deep dive into history’s most outstanding leaders and what they tell us about the qualities of leadership for her book: “Forged in Crisis: The Making of Five Courageous Leaders.” What she learned is that leaders aren’t born; they are made. They are made through solving everyday problems but also through crises. So Nancy talked with host Lesley Weidenbener about how business owners and managers can use this pandemic to develop the skills that will lead their organizations out of the COVID crisis and on to better things. Also, hear from IBJ reporter Susan Orr about the newest round of paycheck protection funding and what it means for small businesses. IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance.   -- Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

There may be no more important time to be agile than now, when the entire economy has been disrupted and nothing about the way we do business is normal. But new research finds the single most important factor in a company’s ability to be agile is actually its foundational stability. And let’s face it: Stable is not something a lot of business leaders are feeling right now. So we talked with Elaine Pulakos, the CEO of talent management consulting firm PDRI in Arlington, Virginia. She’s the author of the research about agility and is the co-author of an article about how to build agile teams that published in Harvard Business Review this month. We also talk with chat with IBJ reporter Susan Orr about the state of the paycheck protection program and its impact in Indiana.   IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance.   Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

As big events like conventions and the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments started canceling last month, leaving the small business across the city reeling, the Indy Chamber sprang into action to offer resources and eventually a loan program in conjunction with the Hogsett administration. Indy Chamber CEO Michael Huber talks about the programs, what kinds of companies need them most and how the experiences have changed the way he's thinking about his organization and what its mission will be going forward.   IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance.   Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

So many business leaders and entrepreneurs are understandably scrambling to cope with the immediate problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting shutdowns. But Matt Neff, an Indianapolis attorney, consultant and venture capitalist, argues that the good leaders will start working now to position their companies for the day the economy restarts. He urges firms to use a 90-day sprint that involves strategic planning, setting new objectives and then getting the team on board to accomplish them within that three-month period. One key, he says, is "over-communicating" with everybody—your customers, suppliers, lenders and employees.  In this week's Beyond COVID podcast, Matt offers advice for businesses trying to get back on track. And IBJ reporter Lindsey Erdody provides an update about Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb's stay-at-home order and, in particular, how the latest iteration affects liquor stores. Click here to read Matt's column in IBJ. And check out all of IBJ's coronavirus stories, as well as resources for businesses and individuals.  Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.    IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance.