(Editor’s note: This is the third installment in a weekly series on how Cooley Group is managing the COVID-19 pandemic, from the perspective of its CEO.See part 1 and part 2 here.)
Understandably, COVID-19 chaos requires me to maintain long workdays. Last Wednesday, at 5:45 a.m. during my customary walk around the factory floor, I spoke with Art, an operator who runs the coater used to manufacture Cooley materials for U.S. military combat raiding crafts.
Dan: “Morning, Art. How are we doing?”
Art: “Good morning, Dan. Coating is running well. Had a glitch with a drive but maintenance was able to fix it to keep the line running so we can finish out the run.” [I make a mental note to check with facilities management to understand why predictive maintenance didn’t anticipate a drive issue.]
Dan: “And how are you doing?”
Art: “Healthy, safe and working. Thanks to you!” [His squinting eyes suggest he’s smiling behind his mask.]
Dan: “No need to thank me. It’s simple – we all stay healthy and safe; we all work.” [Art is now definitely smiling behind his mask.]
Employees know they are directly involved in making a real difference.
Outside of a pandemic, impromptu exchanges with employees are a critical means of testing the morale and productivity of the team at any given moment. During a pandemic, connecting with staff [at 6 feet] at every level and across each facility is even more important because physical health and safety, as well as mental health, are at greater risk. My conversation with Art reminded me of the pride Cooley employees take in their work, especially manufacturing the products we supply the U.S. military and local hospitals. This sense of purpose builds morale and contributes to a positive mindset. Employees know they are directly involved in making a real difference during these trying times.
Each week, in order to maintain a physically safe and mentally healthy work environment, a collection of factory floor workers and plant management volunteer to convene a Safety Committee meeting. Since the start of the pandemic, these committees in each plant oversee the development and implementation of Cooley’s COVID-19 guidelines for social distancing, proper hygiene and personal protective equipment. Employee involvement in their own health and safety provides the team with a sense of control that favorably impacts their morale and mental health, currently strained by the daily uncertainty resulting from the crisis.
At the support-staff level, Cooley has a rotating work-from-home schedule to mitigate coronavirus contagions. For these staff members, safety checks and impromptu communications are virtual rather than in-person. Team leaders check in with their team daily via interoffice video chats not only for project updates but also to check on the personal well-being of their teammates. Frustratingly, our transition to a digital collaboration platform during COVID-19 incurred a few technical challenges, resulting in inconsistent audio and video connectivity. Fortunately, we were finally able to resolve the technical issue this week and are back to normalizing the work-from-home environment with critical digital “face-to-face” interaction.
Knowing you are a member of a team whose priority is to maintain each other’s health and safety provides a strong sense of purpose and community that improves morale and eases the inevitable stress resulting from this pandemic.
Daniel Dwight is CEO and president of Pawtucket-based Cooley Group.
