What’s Your New Normal?
At this boardroom session we heard from Laurie Bell, CEO of the Cheltenham Trust, on managing the COVID – 19 crisis to support the local community, while keeping focused on recovery. Following closure of all the venues the Trust changed its business model to repurpose its resources and assets to ensure future resilience and to support the local community. Like many other organisations it furloughed staff and retained a small business critical team, and in partnership with the borough council, has provided a food hub supplying over 750 food parcels and meals to those who are most vulnerable.
Laurie and her team implemented a crisis management plan within hours of the venues closing. The Trust has shifted its focus to planning its recovery and Laurie shared her strategy and approach, that is based on learning from managing one of the highest profile crisis and recovery situations in the UK.
Laurie has been at the Trust for a year and was previously a Director of Wiltshire Council and the lead on communications following the nerve agent attacks in Salisbury in 2018. Through this experience she learned valuable lessons on planning for recovery and implementing a 12 – 24 month recovery business plan. The plan includes brand credibility, community engagement, building trust and confidence, open and honest communication and dialogue, and rebuilding a customer base. Not only did she have to manage the impact of the first attack in Salisbury, but also the impact of a second incident that further destroyed public confidence and heightened the fear and need for increased reassurance and campaigns to ensure public safety.
Communication in a crisis is vital and remains vital throughout recovery. Now is the time to focus on recovering and communicating and engaging with every stakeholder that will determine your future success. The key question – are you planning for recovery and are you doing enough?
We looked at how important it is for continued learning and personal development. We talked about strong leadership, respond and not react approach awlays, monitoring sentiment, resilience and Laurie strogly believes strong leadership is about people and not product – look after oyur people and take them with you on the journey!
Leaders had the opportunity to chat in breakout room and share and learn from each other, A very inspiring, thought provoking, insightful and useful Leader Boardroom – thank you to Laurie and the team
Slides From Todays Event Here:
Virtual Leaders Forum 20th May 2020 Laurie Bell on Recovery
Laurie Bell , CEO The Cheltenham Trust, The Wilson, Clarence Street, Cheltenham GL50 3JT
Join the The Cheltenham Trust in this community campaign #letsmeetagain community bunting project wrapping Cheltenham’s iconic venues
These are strange and challenging times but what is coming through loud and clear to us at The Cheltenham Trust is the wonderful community spirit that is so prominent in Cheltenham.
With so many people furloughed, children being schooled at home and the vulnerable and elderly self-isolating and shielding, it’s a time to keep connected with the community, and to keep busy and stimulated, a time to embrace creativity and to engage in something new and worthwhile.
That’s why we’re inviting you to be part of our new #letsmeetagain community project. Our vision is to see our iconic venues adorned with home-made bunting as we welcome the community back and we meet again. READ MORE…………https://www.cheltenhamtrust.org.uk/event/lets-meet-again/1509/
