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COVID-19 Emerging Global Business and
Workforce Leadership Competencies

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Table of Contents
Managing Public Lockdowns: .................................................................................................4
Self-Isolation/Quarantine Management.............................................................................4
Developing and Activating Contingency/Continuity Plans......................................7
Implementing Remote /Home Working ..............................................................................9
Dealing With Home Schooling and Virtual Learning.................................................10
Working With Travel Bans and Restrictions .................................................................11
Managing Risk Communication...........................................................................................12
Implementing COVID-19 Employee Support Program..............................................14
Conclusion:.....................................................................................................................................16

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COVID-19 and the Future of Work- The
Emerging Dynamics impacting Work, the
Workplace and the Workforce
COVID-19 pandemic in a forceful and in an unprecedented way has challenged and
is recrafting the ideological, operational and architectural dynamics of work as we
know it whilst it is also re-scripting the demands for work, the workplace and workforce
management across the globe! Without doubt COVID-19 has jumpstarted a global
wave of acceptance of enforced work culture that is now the new Normal!
The following are the global measures adopted to address the enforced requirements
of work and social relations due to COVID-19. These measures have become
mandatory contents of the employee relations communication that all organizations
must share with their employees. It may also require that organizations will have to
invest in relevant technologies to effectively address the enforced collateral impacts
of the COVID-19 pandemic. These are the emerging competencies for business and
HR leaders in the age of COVID-19.

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Managing Public Lockdowns:
A Lockdown is a protocol followed in an emergency that involves confining people in
a secure place, such as the confinement of prison inmates in cells after a disturbance,
or the locking of students and teachers in classrooms after a violent attack. Italy and
China are recent examples of nations that activated the lockdown due to the COVID-
19 pandemic. Other nations are also contemplating ion total lockdown. Organizations
have the responsibility of also providing and regularly updating the employees with
information on the COVID-19 global lockdown map.
Self-Isolation/Quarantine Management
What does it Mean to Self-Isolate?
Individuals have the
responsibility as good citizens
to self-isolate if they think they
may have contracted COVID-
19 and are in danger of
infecting others. Most of the
agencies and institutions
managing the COVID-19 crisis across the globe are swamped with challenging
demands that may not allow them to reach every single suspected case of COVID-19
across the length and breadth of the land. They will depend on citizens to demonstrate
good faith and responsible behaviour in self-isolating themselves if the need arises. In
some other climes, failure to self-isolate in the light of awareness of the requirements
to do so may attract legal prosecution as it may be viewed as a deliberate and
malicious action to put the life of other healthy citizens in danger. Organizations and
HR departments should also encourage employees to self-isolate if they need to.
According to Public Health England (PHE), Self-Isolation in practical terms would
mean that once you reach your residence you must:
1. stay at home
2. not go to work, school or public areas
3. not use public transport like buses, trains, tubes or taxis unless you have been
told it is safe to do so by a member of the port or public health team
4. avoid visitors to your home
5. ask friends, family members or delivery services to carry out errands for you –
such as getting groceries, medications or other shopping

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Who Should Consider Self Isolation?
• People who may be experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19
• People who are waiting for a COVID-19 testing and result
• People who are identified as being a close contact of someone with coronavirus
• Returning travellers from COVID-19 endemic regions
How Do You manage Self-Isolation?
1. It is recommended (PHE) that staying in a well-ventilated room with a window
that can be opened, separate from other people in your home and to use a
separate bathroom
2. If a separate bathroom is not available, consideration should be given to
drawing up a bathroom rota for washing or bathing, with the isolated person
using the facilities last, before thoroughly cleaning the bathroom
3. If you share a kitchen with others (such as university halls of residence or
similar), it is recommended that you avoid using it while others are present. If
this is not possible then a facemask should be worn, and meals should be
consumed in your own room
How long to stay at home if you have Symptoms?
1. Anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days.
2. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to
avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
3. After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to
their normal routine.
4. But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7
days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they're at home for
longer than 14 days.

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5. If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is
pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for
them to stay for 14 days.
6. If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much
as possible.
7. After 7 days, if you no longer have a high temperature you can return to your
normal routine.
8. If you still have a high temperature, stay at home until your temperature returns
to normal.
9. If you still have a cough after 7 days, but your temperature is normal, you do
not need to continue staying at home. A cough can last for several weeks after
the infection has gone. (Sources: NHS, PHE)
Social Distancing- The New Rules for Social Engagement
Refers to certain nonpharmaceutical
infection control actions that are taken
by public health officials to stop or slow
down the spread of a highly contagious
disease.
According to the CDC, social distancing
involves “remaining out of congregate
settings, avoiding mass gatherings,
and maintaining distance” whenever
possible to limit the ability of the virus to
spread.
How Do You Practice Social Distancing?
1. Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-
19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough;
2. Avoid shaking of hands when greeting people
3. Avoid non-essential use of public transport, varying your travel times to avoid rush
hour, when possible;

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4. Work from home, where possible. Your employer should support you to do this.
Please refer to employer guidance for more information;
5. Avoid large gatherings, and gatherings in smaller public spaces such as pubs,
cinemas, restaurants, theatres, bars, clubs and even religious gatherings!
6. Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology
such as phone, internet, and social media.
7. Use telephone or online services to contact your General Practitioner or other
essential services.
8. Everyone should be trying to follow these measures as much as is pragmatic.
9. For those who are over 70, who have an underlying health condition or are
pregnant, its strongly advised you to follow the above measures as much as you
can, and to significantly limit your face-to-face interaction with friends and family if
possible.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-
vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-
and-vulnerable-adults and for more information on Social Distancing visit
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/php/185/185_factsheet_social_distancing.pdf )
Developing and Activating Contingency/Continuity Plans
Business and Contingency Plans are strategic and proactive planning that ‘prepares
the organization for the worst and hope for the best’. Unfortunately, hope is not a
business strategy, so the effectiveness of the contingency plan lies in its attention to
the detailed scenarios of likely outcomes and remediation strategies that have been
identified to deal with undesirable but inevitable outcomes. The impact of COVID-19
could be directly through an outbreak of the disease in the organization leading to staff
absence from the organization or indirectly through public restrictions and lockdowns.
What is the Purpose of the Contingency/Continuity Plans?
• To minimise the risk of your staff contracting COVID-19
• To minimise risk of infecting your customers, partners, family members and
even the public
• To minimise the impact on the organization from the potential effects of
business disruption due to staff sickness/ isolation or other inability to service
clients
• To maintain its duty of care to employees, contractors, customers and others
who may be affected by your operations.

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Your Contingency/Continuity Plans Must Answer the Following Questions
Amongst Others!
• What will happen if considerable number of staff contract the infection and are
placed on quarantine?
• What will happen if there is a government mandated public isolation?
• What critical mission functions in the organization will be severely impacted the
most if we are forced into an isolation mode?
• Can mission-critical functions continue to operate if staff are not able to come
to the office?
• Do we have appropriate measures in place for remote workers, both technology
and business processes so that workers can carry on effectively?
• Are resources that are key to the business available from anywhere (think
cloud-based), or are they only available on-premises?
• Do we have the solutions and network architecture in place to allow resources
to be accessed from anywhere? This may include VPN, remote desktop
services, etc
• Can applications be shifted to the cloud? Or are they of legacy architecture that
requires them to remain on-premises?
• What about business-continuity applications and services such as email and
voice communications?
• Are employees going to need to have their own equipment (computers, laptops,
mobile devices) to access work remotely, or will these be provided by your
company?
• What about security when accessing remotely? Do we have the solutions in
place for secure network access, two-factor authentication, etc.

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• How do we reach our customers and partners if we work remotely?
• Does our HR policy cater for the fallouts of COVID-19 in terms of days of
absence from work due to self-isolation, cost of treatment of COVID-19 infection
for an employee and their family members through the existing HMO
arrangement, or even remote working, telecommuting etc?
The Four Step Approach to Contingency and Continuity Planning?
Implementing Remote /Home Working
From being a fancy and good to have future of work concept, remote working has
become the enforced global
preferred work approach in
the age of COVID-19.
Now is the time" for
businesses to begin their
preparation for the spread of
COVID-19, or the new
coronavirus, according to a
Feb. 25 notice from the
Centres for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). Twitter for example, announced on 1st of March, it had
Contingency/
Continuity Plan
2
Assess the Risks
of COVID-19 to
Your Organization
3
Develop Your
Strategy &
Tactical Plans
4
Rehearse and
Pilot Test Your
Plans
1
Analyse the
Business

March 18, 2020 Page 10 of 17
suspended non-critical business
travel and events. The following day
it updated its statement, "strongly
encouraging all employees globally
to work from home if they're able" in
an effort to lower the probability of
spread. "Working from home will be
mandatory for employees based in
our Hong Kong, Japan, and South
Korea offices due in part to
government restrictions," (Source HR Drive, https://www.hrdive.com/news/twitter-
strongly-encouraging-all-employees-to-work-from-home-to-reduce-co/573421/ )
However, implementing a remote or home working policy will also come with its
attendant challenges and risks especially for organizations who are navigating this
path for the first time. From threats of cyber security, to the challenge of effective
monitoring of employee productivity and coordination of their job delivery, the learning
curve is a steep one that most organizations, business and HR leaders will have to
quickly experience. What is clear is that many organizations will need to put in place
protocols and policies to guide virtual/remote/homeworking in addition to also
providing the infrastructural system support for remote working. How well are you
prepared to implement Remoting Working arrangement as an Organization?
Dealing With Home Schooling and Virtual Learning
According to Forbes ‘Over 300 million children worldwide are suddenly being
homeschooled, as the Covid-19 epidemic shut schools for weeks. All schools in Japan
and Italy are closed, along with those in 11 other countries, while a dozen more nations
contend with widespread school closings in outbreak areas. The United Nations
warned that “the global scale and speed of current educational disruption is
unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education.
Even Harvard University moved its classes online (see link
https://www.harvard.edu/covid-19-moving-classes-online-other-updates ) on March
10. To buttress the strong case for the decision, the school revealed that “despite our
best efforts to bring the University's resources to bear on this virus, we are still faced

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with uncertainty - and the considerable unease brought on by uncertainty. It will take
time for researchers, a good many of them who are our colleagues, to understand
enough about this disease to mount a reliable defense against it. Now more than ever,
we must do our utmost to protect those among us who are most vulnerable, whether
physically or emotionally, and to treat one another with generosity and respect”.
The option of online and virtual learning has become an enforced but attractive
approach for many educational/learning institutions across the globe as a result of
COVID-19. Educational, learning organizations and managers must consider the
possibility of the imposition of public quarantine, travel bans/restriction and lockdown
that may necessitate the use of virtual media and systems in delivering educational
outcomes. It is no longer a possibility of if but when organizations will have to deal with
these challenges!
Working With Travel Bans and Restrictions
Many countries have imposed travel bans
and or restrictions on travellers from within
and without. The following link provides an
update as at 13th March 2020 on the travel
restrictions and bans across different
nation states.
https://www.mayerbrown.com/-
/media/files/perspectives-events/publications/2020/02/mayer-brown_covid19-global-
travel-restrictions-by-country2.pdf.
Business and HR leaders must regularly update their workforce on the travel bans and
restrictions that are in place across the globe whilst also counselling against
employees embarking on visits and travel to known COVID-19 endemic areas. It is
also important to ask employees to encourage self-disclosure of their foreign travel
plans or their access or contact with travellers from other nations. And all organizations
must put in place travel policies for employees that allows only ‘essential travels’ to
be made by employees to destinations outside of their home country. Such policies
must define what constitute essential travels and must also clearly stipulate what
returning employees must do when they resume back to work as it may concern the
need to self-isolate.

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Managing Risk Communication
The field of Risk Communication has become an integral and critical part of the
management of Public Health Pandemics and crisis. The importance of effective,
balanced, objective, timely and impactful communication cannot be over emphasized.
And Risk communication in pandemic crisis period becomes more challenging with
the ubiquitous dissemination of fake news and false narratives through the social
media channels with extensive reach to billions of people across the globe. Whilst the
responsibility for National and public Risk communication management may lie with
the government and appropriate National Public Health institutions, the business and
HR leaders (relying on the relevant Government and Public Health authorities) also
have secondary level responsibility for managing risk communication on public health
pandemics with their staff, customers and partners.
A well-managed risk communication strategy will prevent public health pandemics
becoming an unmanageable crisis as it will help set, manage and moderate public
expectations and opinions. It will also help stem the malicious tide of fake news that
often complicates and exacerbates the crisis.
What are some of the Guidelines for an Effective Risk Communication Strategy and
Approach?
In terms of content:
• Keep the message
simple, brief and
straightforward
• Avoid speculation –
stick to facts
• Respect and address
people’s concerns and
requests for
information.

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In terms of style:
• Be frank and honest
• Make it clear that the company (or those running the country) recognizes the
importance of communicating
• Show empathy, concern and commitment – you’re all in this together
The list below was developed by Peter Sandman and whilst some of them may seem
to overlap and may not all be applicable at all times to all risk communication
scenarios, they serve as an adaptable development checklist for your Risk
Communication Strategy.
1. Do not over-reassure.
2. Put reassuring information in subordinate clauses.
3. Err on the side of alarm.
4. Acknowledge uncertainty.
5. Share dilemmas.
6. Acknowledge opinion diversity.
7. Be willing to speculate.
8. Do not over-diagnose or overplan for panic.
9. Do not aim for zero fear.
10.Don’t forget emotions other than fear.
11.Do not ridicule the public’s emotions.
12.Legitimize people’s fears.
13.Tolerate early overreactions.
14.Establish your own humanity.
15.Tell people what to expect.
16.Offer people things to do.
17.Let people choose their own actions.

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18.Ask more of people.
19.Acknowledge errors, deficiencies and misbehaviours.
20.Apologize often for errors, deficiencies and misbehaviours.
21.Be explicit about ‘anchoring frames.’
22.Be explicit about changes in official opinion, prediction or po
23.Do not lie and do not tell half-truths.
24.Aim for total candor and transparency.
25.Be careful with risk comparisons.
Remember that a good Risk Communication strategy will not sacrifice objectivity and
public good on the altar of political economic correctness!
Implementing COVID-19 Employee Support Program
Across the globe many organizations in different sectors have put in place specialized
assistance and support programs for employees as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic crisis. This support program is not limited to medical assistance and
providing information to the employees alone as they also offer counselling services
support for employees going through mental trauma and stress as a result of the
challenges associated with COVID-19.
In addition, organizations also provide the hot desks contact details of the appropriate
Global and National Public Health authorities and relevant institutions who can provide
further technical level support to employees who need such. The information support
services must provide the employees with the basic knowledge of how they can protect
themselves, their colleagues and family members in addition to also covering the
necessary steps to be taken by the employees at work or at home if a colleague or a
family member have tell-tale signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
In Nigeria, the contact details of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is a must
have and communicated to all employees. NCDC is the coordinating agency of the
Federal Government of Nigeria working with International partners and State
Governments in combating communicable and infectious disease in Nigeria. The
NCDC sites are rich repositories of guidelines and updates on COVID-19.

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The contact details of NCDC are as follows:
▪ https://lnkd.in/gcCckfh
▪ http://www.covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/
▪ www.ncdc.gov.ng
▪ https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/guidelines
▪ Twitter/Facebook- *@NCDCgov*
Other Contacts Information
▪ *NCDC Toll-free Number: 080097000010*
▪ *SMS: 08099555577
▪ WhatsApp: 07087110839
NCDC has published many guidelines and advisories on COVID-19 management and
they are hosted on its websites. They include the following;
1. Guidance for safe mass gatherings-
http://covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/resource/guideline/1503%20V1%20Guidance%20for%20
Safe%20Mass%20Gatherings%20in%20Nigeria%20COVID19.pdf
2. Public health advisory to Nigerians. Version 5 published on the 15th of March 2020:
http://covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/advisory.html#about
3. Case-definition to guide diagnosis in Nigeria updated 15th of March 2020:
http://covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/resource/guideline/Case%20Definition%20COVID_19%2
0v3.pdf
4. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions updated 15th of March 2020:
http://covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/faq.html#about
5. National Interim Case Management Guidelines for Health Workers-
http://www.covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/resource/guideline/National%20COVID19%20Case
%20Management%20Guide_NCDC.pdf
6. COVID-19 Guidance for Schools in Nigeria -
https://ncdc.gov.ng/themes/common/docs/protocols/175_1583410399.pdf
7. Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Health Workers:
https://ncdc.gov.ng/themes/common/docs/protocols/172_1583044210.pdf

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8. Protective Equipment for Health workers:
https://ncdc.gov.ng/themes/common/docs/protocols/171_1583044010.pdf
#COVID19Nigeria
The World Health Organization has also released some guidelines to help prepare
your workplace for COVID-19. Check this link below for more information.
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/getting-workplace-ready-for-
covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=359a81e7_6
Conclusion:
The COVID-19 Global pandemic crisis is an unprecedented global challenge but an
awakening call to all global leaders and policy makers on the need to pay more
attention to the increasingly Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous and
Disruptive (VUCAD) nature of our world and age. With COVID-19, we have now
transitioned from VUCA to VUCAD. Nothing is as straightforward and predictable as
they use to be. And our lives have been literally turned upside down and grounded to
a halt. And COVID-19 may just be the rude and frightening signpost for a VUCAD
prognosis for the rest of 2020 and the decade!
There is therefore an imperative for all Leaders at all levels and sectors to embrace
the need to explore the new vista of learning about the emerging management
requirements for organizations in the age of COVID-19 if they will successfully
navigate through the challenging and difficult crisis that has started and may still lie
ahead.
Humanity evidently is going through its unconscious incompetence COVID-19
learning phase where our vulnerabilities and ignorance as a race in terms of our
response readiness and management capacity of global pandemics and other
unforeseen crisis has been brutally exposed to be sub-optimal!
COVID-19 in a novel and unforgiving way has brought great nations (with their heavily
stocked up arsenal of nuclear weapons and first-class military defense systems) to
their knees and absolute lockdown. To say that COVID-19 has rammed in the fear of
God into humanity is not an overstatement! But the crisis still presents us with its gifts!

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The Crisis must not be wasted! We must quickly learn our lessons and respond rapidly
to stop the raging COVID-19 pandemic. We did overcome the Ebola crisis and surely
God willing we will also overcome the COVID-19 pandemic as the Human race.
Feel Free To share with Business and HR Leaders Across
All Organizations!!!
Dr. Olayiwola Oladapo is a Strategy, Human and Organizational Development, Policy Management
Professional, and Transformational thought leader.
E: mail: Olayi72@yahoo.com
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2UaXGs8
Twitter: @Drolayioladapo