The Covid-19 crisis is fast-moving and hard to predict. But a new analysis of data from China suggests that the country appears to be in the early stages of an economic rebound. While this recovery could be vulnerable if a new wave of infections emerges, many Chinese companies appear to have moved beyond crisis response to recovery and post-recovery planning. While China has its own distinct political and administrative systems, many of the lessons learned by local organizations seem broadly applicable. Here are a few:

1) Look ahead and constantly reframe your efforts. By definition, crises have a highly dynamic trajectory, which requires a constant reframing of mental models and plans. This process must be fast — and therefore CEO-led. In China, some of the fastest-recovering companies proactively looked ahead and anticipated such shifts.

2) Proactively create clarity and security for employees. In a crisis, it’s hard to find clarity, especially when the available information is constantly changing. Employees will need to adopt new ways of working, but they won’t be able to do so unless they have clear consistent information and direction.

3) Use social media to coordinate employees and partners. With remote working and a new set of complex coordination challenges, many Chinese companies took to social media platforms, such as WeChat, to coordinate employees and partners.

4) Prepare for a faster recovery than you expect. Considering the time it takes to formulate, disseminate, and apply new policies in large companies, recovery planning needs to start while you’re still reacting to the crisis.

Harvard Business News