‘People First’ in times of crisis
“Get the people together, tell them what the situation is, ask them how are we going to solve this.” In this new episode of the HR Matters Podcast, we speak with Tom van der Lubbe, ceo of Viisi, about ‘people first’ in times of crisis. Viisi has a double purpose: to change the world of finance, and to put people first, changing the way we work. In these extraordinary circumstances they found that their priorities stay the same: 1. Solidarity first, and nothing else. Everybody keeps their job. We’re in this together. 2. Check your liquidity. The hierarchy reverses here: shareholders chip in first. 3. A crisis is always an opportunity as well. For spotting great behaviour, taking constructive actions, building an even stronger team. Viisi is seeing the empowerment, responsibility and ownership rise in their team. When you create solidarity and psychological safety in an organisation, people really do want to show up for one another, and they will - because they value the business and their work. There will always be difficult economic times. The question is always: how do you treat the people in your organisation? Have a plan beforehand. And put people first always. Your team will be even stronger after this crisis.