#LockdownLessons: Working together to flatten the curve, ignite the economy

Tracey Henry, CEO at Tshikululu Social Investment

We chatted to Tracey Henry, CEO at Tshikululu Social Investment, to get her take.

What was your initial response to the crisis/lockdown and has your experience of it been different to what you expected?

Tracey Henry: We anticipated the lockdown before it was officially announced and started work from home a week before lockdown. Fortunately, we have been enhancing our systems over a period of time to support remote work and so the jump was not that big.

The experience has been somewhat different to what was anticipated. The initial thinking that we would have more time, more balance, has proven otherwise. We have been busier than ever and managing home, children and work responsibilities has been a steep adjustment. It has meant longer working hours, including weekends.

Comment on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on your organisation or economy as a whole.

Henry: Our purpose is to maximise the power of social investments and during this time our work has become more relevant than ever. The response by business, civil society and government has been extraordinary and we are all working to flatten the curve and ignite the economy as soon as is possible. We have been busier than ever since lockdown, working with all our partners to respond to the socio-economic impact of Covid-19.

While we will continue to work from home, we are also working on plans that will enable staff to return to work in due course and to manage the risks of Covid-19 that will be present for a long time to come. This has meant developing protocols to allow a safe working environment.

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Comment on the challenges and opportunities.

Henry: We are fortunate that we can continue with our work by using tech and work from home. The fact that we don’t have the office environment to catch up in the passage or share a cup of coffee means that we all need to adjust to ensure we stay in touch and keep focused on our client expectations, the national crisis and our long-term business strategy.

This has meant that we have had to structure our engagements as team members to ensure that we all say focused on immediate but also longer term initiatives. During this time it is important as leaders to keep our heads above the immediate crisis and to constantly remind staff of our longer term vision, which is about creating a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. This might seem insurmountable right now but, as leaders, it is our duty now to keep our teams motivated and focused on our north star.

How has the lockdown affected your staff? / What temporary HR policies have you put in place regarding remote working, health & safety, etc.?

Henry: We all started work from home a week before lockdown commenced. A concern we have is the mental wellbeing of our staff. We are faced with an extraordinary situation that none of us has ever had to live through. The uncertainty is very real and ensuring staff have access to mental wellness support has been top of mind.

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Sindy Peters  11 May 2020

How are you navigating ‘physical distancing’ while keeping your team close-knit and aligned?

Henry: Staying in touch with everyone on a daily basis has been crucial. This is done mostly via Teams and a daily morning message on WhatsApp from the CEO. The exco team also has a quick morning check in and the different teams meet on a regular basis during the week. We also had our first virtual staff meeting via Teams this past week and it was great to see how engaged staff were. With the ability to share comments and past questions during the meeting allowed for a more engaged meeting.

Any trends you’ve seen emerge as a result of the crisis?

Henry: We need to reflect on social investment strategies going forward. The impact of Covid-19 has highlighted once again the inequality in society and the impact of this on the most vulnerable households. We need to rethink how we make quality education more accessible, how we strengthen our health system, and how we support balance in how we continue to invest in innovative models.

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Sindy Peters  7 May 2020

What do you predict the next six months will be like?

Henry: It’s going to continue to be tough for everyone but we are a resilient company and we know that what we do has real purpose.