Strategies to outlast the pandemic
In March of last year, when the reality of the pandemic started making its presence felt, Wellness House quickly transitioned all of its in-person programming to an online format. The nonprofit organization located in Hinsdale, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, offers 485-plus free psychosocial support programs to encourage, educate and emotionally support people with cancer and their families. The move helped ensure that everyone would receive uninterrupted support.
In the early stages of the transition, the Wellness House website posted more than 50,000 visits to online programs from 27 states, with many of them coming from geographical areas it was trying to reach. To comprehend the full scope of Wellness House’s transition, for the past 30-plus years, the organization mostly held in-person programs with some pre-recorded content.
To survive the jolt the pandemic rendered on its delivery platform, Wellness House had to reinvent its business model. “We basically changed our entire method of delivery to an online platform and became completely virtual,” says Marketing Communication Manager Deb Kwiatt. “It was a seismic shift in the way we did things and required a shift in thought process, delivery of product and how we marketed our services. We were determined to remain at the core of who we are. That’s where knowledge and expertise can bend and mold with a new circumstance.”
The long-term ramifications became a silver lining. With a mission statement designed to help people affected by cancer thrive, especially in cases of cancer health inequity, the online platform actually helped lead to an increase in accessibility to its programs.
Today, Wellness House is melding the in-person and online models into a comprehensive new delivery platform that puts exercise, nutrition, support groups and stress management on the map no matter where someone lives. “We’re now adjusting our staffing resources and marketing plan to execute this new hybrid model,” Kwiatt says. “Opportunity comes with learning, innovation and utilizing resources in the smartest way possible.”
Several years ago, Wellness House began to build partnerships to expand into underserved areas so that more people affected by cancer could access programs. When you’re working with physical locations, the process tends to be slower, especially when you factor in challenges like transportation. But when the pandemic forced a different way of thinking, the opportunity to examine other options presented itself.
“We basically removed geographic barriers,” Kwiatt says. “Because of that, like many companies and organizations, the pandemic has revealed opportunity.”
“We basically removed geographic barriers. Because of that, like many companies and organizations, the pandemic has revealed opportunity.”
— Deb Kwiatt, Marketing Communication Manager, Wellness House
That’s where culture enters the picture. Kwiatt says having a strong culture instills a sense of wonder at the opportunity, even with the inevitable challenges that come with changes and growth. “A brand is built from the inside out and that includes a culture that lives and breathes a focus on relationships, innovation, idea sharing, equity and diversity and striving for quality with a work life balance. That might sound lofty, and no organization is perfect, but when it’s woven through everything and intentional, it becomes a reality and makes its way to action, identity and perception. When the pandemic hit and we had to think differently and make quick decisions, we knew our organizational leaders were supportive and invited new thoughts and ideas.”
For example, Wellness House’s HR Manager created several remote/virtual opportunities, including open chats with leadership or informal lunches, that helped foster communication in social and informative ways. “Internal communication and the opportunity to connect is more important than ever, particularly for new employees who haven’t experienced the company culture in person,” Kwiatt says. “Silence by leadership and inaction is a killer of culture because I think that’s when you see disengagement and a fracturing of culture which affects overall success in a profound way.”
The tools that will grow even stronger thanks to the pandemic include communication, flexibility, and the ability to look at the greater good and what’s beyond the horizon. “We have been in uncertain and uncharted territory for over a year and there’s more to come,” Kwiatt says. “Compassion and the ability to work with ambiguity also go a long way.”
Keeping it real
One of the most lasting fallouts of the pandemic’s impact on today’s work climate will be the dynamics it has created on how and where people work, especially as it relates to marketing. Ask Christina and Steve Ross, owners of Silver Frog Marketing, and they will tell you that regardless of where the sign on your door is psychically displayed, you still lean on your team, and follow your systems and processes.
When Silver Frog employees were forced to work remotely, the systems and processes that the marketing firm built into the framework helped keep everything pushing forward, hiccups and all.
“Having a good culture, good support system, knowing other people have your back and that everyone is pulling in the same direction can take a lot of stress off—personally and professionally,” says Christina, President and Marketing Director. “It is important for your employees to feel their work is valued and their voices are heard.”
Having just increased its staff and moved into a larger office space one week before COVID hit, the Silver Frog Marketing team was forced to shut everything down. During the initial quarantine, everyone worked remotely.
To help out, Silver Frog provided laptops, dual monitors and cell phones for every employee. And while it took some getting used to, the synergy eventually kicked in. “We started working together more as a team,” Steve recalls. “We started utilizing technologies like Zoom, and shared documents to communicate better and work more efficiently.”
“Having a good culture, good support system, knowing other people have your back and that everyone is pulling in the same direction can take a lot of stress off—personally and professionally.” — Christina Ross, President & Marketing Director, Silver Frog Marketing
And, in a time when the bottom fell out for a lot of companies, Silver Frog ended up growing sales by about 334% versus the previous year. Taking a page out of the how and why it transformed its workplace environment, Silver Frog now has implemented a hybrid work schedule, which allows for in-office and remote days.
“Now that the pandemic is settling down and people are able to return to work, we have implemented a hybrid work model that’s working for our team,” Christina says. “Additionally, we have three short morning meetings per week where each of our team members is given a platform to share what they’re working on that week, wins they’ve had, give praise or crowdsource help with a challenge. This has really brought us together and helps eliminate division among other departments even when we are not all always in the same location.”
Like many companies around the country, the ability for Wellness House and Silver Frog to keep an open mind and change with the changing business conditions has paid off. Driven by a newfound commitment to patience and level-headedness, the path forward is clearer than it has ever been.