The practice of social distancing is affecting most companies right now. However, adapting operations to this new way of working can mean very different things for different businesses.
For Georgian Bay Spirit Co., one of Vision33’s SAP Business One clients, recent adaptions are about continuing to focus on the things that are core to everything they do: community, connection, and sociability.
Despite challenges stemming from the current global situation, Georgian Bay Spirit Co. has found opportunities to contribute to response efforts in ways that reflect their core values.
One way Georgian Bay Spirit Co. is being adaptive to the current global operating environment is with a proactive strategy rather than reactive efforts.
Many of us are adjusting to working from home effectively as individuals – but we also need to be thinking about how to keep working effectively as organizations.
While it can be overwhelming to consider how each area of your business may need adjustment, taking the time to be proactive can better position you to move forward. It’s likely that social distancing will continue to affect companies for a sustained amount of time; acting now can help you avoid playing catch-up later.
Take Georgian Bay Spirit Co's Instagram feed, for example.
Social distancing was probably not part of the company’s initial social media plan for March. However, they have been able to quickly pivot their content strategy so that it lines up with their customers’ day-to-day lives and resonates in the current moment.
By reaching out to their team for recommendations, they leveraged employee responses into Instagram posts that offer helpful suggestions for social distancing.
One post talks about ways to spend time with friends and family while still practicing social distancing; another leans on the company’s beverage expertise to provide movie and cocktail pairings that can be tried at home.
Whether it’s revisiting communications, reviewing strategy, or regrouping on key projects, make sure you schedule time to map out what your up-to-date priorities are and how to work toward them.
Beyond serving their own business interests, Georgian Bay Spirit Co. has adapted operations to contribute to their community by starting to produce hand sanitizer.
With hospital and front line workers experiencing supply shortages, switching to sanitizer production is a way to provide vital help to global pandemic response efforts.
Their first batch is being donated to the front line in Collingwood, on the shores of Georgian Bay, where the Ontario company has a distillery.
There are countless small ways a team interacts when working together in an office. When it comes to basics like creating productive routines or running effective remote meetings, many of us are still getting used to our new day-to-day. We’re all trying to develop new habits.
What about those good habits, though, that existed at the office?
It’s easy for a change in environment to disrupt healthy routines. At Georgian Bay Spirit Co., the team has a standing Thursday cocktail hour. Instead of canceling this ritual due to work-from-home policy in place, they’ve moved to a virtual cocktail hour to keep connected while still social distancing.
Since connection and sociability are important to Georgian Bay Spirit Co., continuing to get together and socialize is a way for their company culture to stay strong even as their team transitions to working remotely.
Every business is being affected differently right now, but we’re all operating in uncharted territory.
Vision33’s global team of expert resources is here to help.
If your business is facing a challenge right now, reach out. We have experience with working remotely, responding to crises, and implementing solutions – and together we can find the best way to move you forward on the things that matter most.