David Piccerelli | Rhode Island PBS president
Leading a complex and dynamic organization such as Rhode Island PBS through the pandemic has been nothing short of enlightening. COVID-19 devastated many small businesses. We sent staff home for what we expected would be two weeks. Weeks became months; the plan had to change.
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Keep things in perspective: Our core business and essential service did not change. We held that truth. We recognized the quarantined and isolated population needed us to be their dependable “go to” place for calm, reliable normalcy. We committed to delivering our regular schedule. Faced with disruption, it is important to keep in perspective your organization’s role in the community.
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Stay flexible: Change is uncomfortable unless you embrace the opportunities it represents. We pivoted live events to virtual and excelled in Zoom and remote production. We expanded educational content for at-home learning. We even launched a new weekly series. Hold your vision but be flexible in how to get there.
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Be courageous: When everyone else panics, leaders inspire innovation. Sometimes that inspiration starts as a shrug and frank admission of shared uncertainty. That courage, honesty and authenticity struck a chord with our donors, whose own resources were already stretched thin. The response was humbling. Notes, emails, and calls – especially from teachers and parents – shared appreciation for our gift of “normalcy” in their lives.
