Like businesses all around, we entered March with a “plan”. And it was working perfectly! We’d just moved into our amazing new office, Our application had gone live and we’d signed on our first investors. We looked forward to ending our first year on a high. But there were clouds on the horizon. As the Covid 19 pandemic gripped the world we had to adapt and adapt fast. Unlike the big multinationals with there detailed disaster management policies and abundance of resources at their disposal, we had to think fast and put a plan in place. Constantly hustling and adapting to change is something is a skill set you develop as a startup and so we played to our strengths i.e. Our people, our passion and pure grit to keep things running. We are proud to be sharing what has worked for us.
Tightening up those wallet strings
This was top priority, putting in place a financial plan to see us through the crisis. However unlike businesses who reacted to the situation by defaulting to cost cuts, we used it as an opportunity to challenge our cost base and redefine what would be essential expenditure. We had to get our cost base leaner but smarter. This plan was put in place not simply for the lockdown, but our broader cost strategy as well. Eg. IT infrastructure needed more investment which we met through renegotiating lease expenses.
Staying connected
We ensured our teams were set up to work remotely well before the lockdown was put in place. This meant providing IT infrastructure, setting up support systems and helping them get into a routine for virtual working. Through the use of Hangouts meet, Zoom and other collaboration we ensured we were always connected and able to solve problems faster and more efficiently. Our daily virtual huddles have helped us take stock, set goals and track progress seamlessly.
Empathy
We knew the lockdown would impact different people differently. The challenges our people faced ranged from lack of getting essential supplies to what we’ve termed as WFH fatigue. So empathy has been at the centre of all our interactions with the team. We understand our teams aren’t simply working from home, but are trying to work through a global crisis. By promoting a culture of honesty and openness we’ve been able to help our people navigate the long road to getting used to the “new normal”.
Passionate leadership
The best of plans can fail under poor leadership. Seeing our founders live and breathe their passion and vision for OneDios has been nothing but intoxicating for our teams. In a world flooded with news of loss, our founders have helped paint their vision of the bright future that OneDios is heading for perfectly. From our daily huddles, to client meetings, having strong focused leadership can make all the difference when it comes to raising morale. They celebrate our successes and guide us through our failures.