Collaboration, inclusivity, responsibility, leadership and shared vision – it’s Colorado’s Civic DNA and it’s the lens in which Denver is responding to this pandemic.
In last week’s Virtual Voices, our alumni heard from two leaders of the City and County of Denver’s Office of Economic Development and Opportunity: Executive Director Eric Hiraga and Chief of Staff Jen Morris. They shared how the city prepared for and is responding to COVID-19.
Virtual Voices aims to keep alums informed and engaged as our community works through this challenging time. Each virtual meeting brings together leaders on the front lines of impacted industries to share their knowledge, perspectives and leadership lessons.
Check out our key takeaways and the video of the webinar below.
Efficient Collaboration. We’ve all had to shift how we work to get things done, and we’ve seen how our teams can work together to achieve our goals. Our teams are relying on each other and breaking down the organization’s silos to ensure we’re all efficiently working together and keeping our teams in the know.
Honesty is key. Give your staff weekly updates that are based on data so that they’re aware of the challenges your organization and our community faces. As a leader, you’re there as their cheerleader to support them during this time, but at the end of day, be realistic about the situation at hand.
Building and bridging partnerships. There’s a lot of people who need help and a lot of people who are ready to give help. Our community will roll up their sleeves and lend a helping hand. It’s important to build, bridge and work with the right partners to find solutions. Once you’ve established partnerships, be sure to have open communication so we can navigate this new challenge together.
Be ready to make quick decisions. The City and County of Denver created an emergency response team to respond to this crisis. That meant having the right people in the room to make quick decisions for our community. They leaned on their network to act fast, and your team can do the same. Have a network that you can lean on to make the quick decisions for your team and be ready to change the course as you learn new information.
Rethink the traditional. What used to work for your team may not be what they need know. Rethink traditional processes to help your company survive while being virtual. It also creates opportunities for innovation. How can you turn a traditional process into a virtual one?
Stay involved and stay informed. We’ll get through this stronger if all sectors work together. Share your ideas with the City and County of Denver at errc@denvergov.org. The business community is dealing with this crisis daily, and your ideas will make a difference.
Join us for an upcoming Virtual Voices. Check out our upcoming programs.