Part 3 - Being the CEO of a company while having the virus

As the CEO of a company with two positive Covid cases, my own and one other person, there were notable impacts on our business. Luckily we can operate remotely so the fact that we had to close the office and work from home was not a disaster for us, not ideal but still manageable. Many businesses in a similar position with a positive test would potentially close their business temporarily and that would be a disaster, not just for the business but for those employees that may not be receiving a paycheck while the business closes.

Before the positive test, we were practicing protective measures. For example, our desks were 6 feet apart, we had hand gel in each office to be used on entry and exit of the office, our internal and client meetings were all virtual (even if we were all in the office). We also split our staff into two teams that would alternate working from home and working in the office each day. 

Obviously, I was sick and had to continue working. Days, where I was exhausted, were particularly difficult. The team was in transition, uncertain, having to go from an office environment to a home office overnight, waiting for their test results, going through an unexpected quarantine, even job security are all on the minds of the team which means that there are distractions that are not part of our normal routines. Keeping people positive, reminding everyone that my symptoms are mild, the company is fine and that we simply need to keep focusing on the job at hand were daily points on my to-do list.

We experienced technical challenges as well. The work we do for clients is on local, highly secured systems. We had to maintain that security while garnering remote access. There were hurdles to overcome on this and it did take a few days to get there. Luckily our clients were supportive and understanding while we worked through our transition. This is a positive outcome though. We will no longer have these gaps if this happens again. We can shut down and reopen in hours based on our modified structure and experience.

I do find that leading people remotely is a challenge. I work to stay on top of everything going on within the business but I do find that I need to rely on other leaders and the individuals themselves to ensure that everyone is taking the initiative to not only manage their own jobs but still work to grow the company. I often feel that I do this well with some employees but others not as well. I often notice that the more introverted, less likely to ask for help are also the ones that struggle more in a "work from home" situation. It isn't that they do poor work, it has more to do with our relationship being less engaged. If I don't take the initiative to engage the initiative is not taken...

We happen to be in the process of moving locations, closer to downtown Calgary, Alberta. It's more space, better location and much nicer. We are excited about it but the reno's and prep were also delayed due to my positive test. One good decision made was that we had both office spaces for a one-month overlap so the delay is only mildly problematic since we had the time buffer.

All in all, I can sympathize with leaders of companies that struggle with surviving the pandemic from a business perspective. It is a lot more work to lead remotely, it's more stressful, every bit of work takes longer, there are more unknowns from both a daily and futuristic perspective. I feel fortunate because of the business we are in but the ongoing pressure is immense.

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