3 Strategies from Leaders that Thrived
- Staying very proactive with safety, supply chain and cleaning
During the government lockdown, our team demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability. We maintained operations without shutting down by prioritizing safety, ensuring a robust supply chain, and implementing rigorous cleaning protocols.
Firstly, we proactively adopted safety measures, including social distancing, mandatory mask-wearing, and regular health checks. This helped protect our employees and customers, fostering a secure environment.
Secondly, we focused on our supply chain, anticipating disruptions and diversifying our sources. By maintaining strong relationships with suppliers and exploring alternative options, we ensured a steady flow of essential materials.
Lastly, we enhanced our cleaning routines, increasing the frequency of sanitization and using high-quality disinfectants. This commitment to cleanliness reassured everyone that our facilities were safe.
Through these proactive steps, we navigated the challenges of the lockdown effectively, ensuring continuity and demonstrating our dedication to health and safety.
- Advanced Planning for Raw Materials
Advanced planning for raw materials is crucial for small manufacturers, especially during chaotic times. Unpredictable events, such as economic downturns, natural disasters, or pandemics, can severely disrupt supply chains, leading to shortages and delays. By proactively planning, manufacturers can mitigate these risks and ensure continuity.
Firstly, maintaining a buffer stock of essential raw materials can prevent production halts. This involves forecasting demand accurately and securing additional inventory to cover unexpected disruptions.
Secondly, diversifying suppliers is vital. Relying on a single source can be risky; having multiple suppliers from different regions can provide alternatives if one is affected.
Thirdly, establishing strong relationships with suppliers can lead to better communication and priority treatment during crises. Regularly reviewing contracts and agreements ensures flexibility and reliability.
In summary, advanced planning for raw materials helps small manufacturers navigate uncertainties, maintain production, and meet customer demands consistently.
- Faith in God and my own abilities
During the lockdown, my faith in God and confidence in my own abilities were instrumental in helping me navigate the challenges as a small manufacturer. The uncertainty and disruptions brought by the pandemic tested my resilience, but my belief in a higher power provided me with strength and hope.
Faith in God gave me the courage to face each day with optimism, knowing that I was not alone in my struggles. It helped me stay grounded and focused, even when circumstances seemed overwhelming. Prayer and reflection became daily practices that offered comfort and guidance, allowing me to make decisions with clarity and conviction.
Equally important was my trust in my own abilities. Years of experience and knowledge in manufacturing gave me the confidence to adapt quickly to changing conditions. I leveraged my skills to implement new safety protocols, manage supply chain disruptions, and maintain operations despite the challenges. My proactive approach and problem-solving mindset ensured that we could continue to serve our customers and protect our employees.
Together, faith and self-belief created a powerful foundation that enabled me to persevere through the lockdown. They provided the emotional and mental fortitude needed to overcome obstacles and emerge stronger on the other side.
As a reminder, this is where these comments originated.
Just as the lockdown occurred in 2020, I reached out to leaders in my network and asked them several strategic questions. I did this as a hedge against falling into the void for myself and possibly for them if it served that purpose.
The responses were obviously shaded with fear and concern, as well as toughmindedness that ended up enabling most of them to survive and even thrive during the lockdown.
How did you make it and thrive?
Then, when the dust seemed to settle in 2022, I went back to those same leaders and asked them how they survived the apocalypse. The responses are a treasure chest of business counsel that stands the test of time in good times or bad.
The following are a few comments from these leaders after the apocalypse…which didn’t really happen, especially the way the media portrayed it. The world did not end, but unfortunately there was plenty of collateral damage and lives lost.