With the outbreak of a pandemic, mass layoffs, stock market whiplash, workplace transformations, weeks of protests and employee unrest already behind us, it can be easy to forget that we’re only halfway through 2020. As a crisis and public affairs adviser working alongside attorneys, I’ve helped executives and leaders in a variety of sectors, from long-term care and retail to logistics and government, ride many of these individual waves. When the immediate risk recedes and tensions dial down, though, I remind clients that the most difficult challenges of 2020 could still lie ahead.
The pandemic, protests and related events caught companies, nonprofits and governments off guard. But these were sea changes, not acute crises: To understand the salient legal and reputational risks, employee expectations and consumer demands that will shape late 2020 and early 2021, leaders in every sector will have to draw lessons from the recent past. Asking the following questions could help corporate executives, elected officials and others gauge their preparedness for those challenges—and help them make changes now, if necessary.
