In our lives “before” – before COVID-19, before massive economic disruption, before increasing unemployment – it was okay if you primarily saw your loyalty program as a means to drive more transactions for your brands.  In fact, that was probably working for you pretty well.  But we’re in a different market now, one where consumers are suddenly evaluating brands and purchase decisions very differently.

Editor’s Note: This post was co-written by Nicole Harris and Dawn Schillinger.

Since February, the whole world has been a captive audience watching one breaking news update roll in after the other, documenting the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on our daily lives.

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing things for not just us and our families, but also the auto industry as a whole. Showrooms have shuttered across the country. Leads are dwindling. Even service bays are running with skeleton crews as more and more drivers ditch the office to begin working from home. And while the situation may feel overwhelming, it’s comforting to know that we’re in this together, and we’ll get through it together.

The annual Future of Automotive Retail (FAR) Summit, presented by Maritz Automotive, brought together OEMs, dealers, technology disruptors, academics and industry experts to discuss the state of the automotive industry and its future. 

There is no shortage of businesses who are doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and adopting new approaches to taking care of their customers, employees and the rest of the general population while keeping their own business healthy. During these times, communication is key, and the health and safety of the public should be a top priority for businesses. 

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States and across the globe, retail stores are closing, restaurants are either closing or limiting operations to take-out or curbside pick-up, and many companies are shifting to a remote workplace. 

With the bulk of survey season behind us, soon Maritz employees, managers and executives will be participating in the performance feedback sessions that will lay the road map for our next fiscal year.

This is an incredible learning and feedback opportunity for our organization. We have the chance to reflect on our successes and failures, our individual strengths and weaknesses, and lay the foundation for a better future. With that in mind, we’d like to impart some valuable insights that will help you make your feedback sessions more impactful.

The kernels of these suggestions come from Maritz Motivation and MHI Board Member John Schweig. In addition to serving on our board for eight years now, John led an organization of thousands as president of Grainger International and today chairs two other corporate boards.

We hope you keep the following recommendations in mind as you enter your performance review sessions in the coming weeks.

1. Performance and Potential

You’ve probably noticed by now that things are a little bit… hectic. All across the world, people are making adjustments to their daily lives, including where and how they work, in response to the coronavirus. This is behavioral change on a massive scale, and behavioral science can offer insights into how to effectively manage your thoughts, feelings and behaviors to make your adjustments as smooth as possible. 

Companies around the globe are feeling the impact of COVID-19 and are instructing their employees to work from home or even laying off part of their staff. As schools are closing, some through the end of the school year, many remote employees will have to parent their children and support their education as best they can. (Here are some educational resources for working parents during this time).