Survive, Adapt, Thrive

A webinar series for navigating the COVID-19 crisis

The crisis of our generation is here. Its impact is creating chaos in every community and business.  According to the Burnaby Board of Trade, more than half of currently closed businesses are not confident they will re-open.

As business leaders, we don’t have the luxury of being paralyzed or taking a victim mindset. Our business and people depend on getting unstuck.

The Incrementa (un)consulting community has come together to create a series of webinars on navigating the COVID-19 crisis, allowing us to survive, build resilience and adapt, then thrive on the other side.

Each week we provide a new focus for the webinars.

• Week 1 – May 6:  Survive
• Week 2: May 13: Adapt
• Week 3: May 20: Thrive

Week 2:  Adapt (and Prepare)

You’ve battled through the chaos and made the changes you need to survive.  While the future isn’t clear, you feel something vital:  hope.

On Wednesday, May 13th, we dive into some of the key elements for businesses to adapt and prepare for the thrive stage.

Let’s build on that hope together and figure out some of the changes needed to adapt to the post-COVID-19 world.

Our agenda for Wednesday, May 6th

Panel: Embracing virtual teams – adapting the way of work – 8:00 AM PT

Due to the pandemic closures a significant portion of businesses were forced to implement virtual teams, accelerating a slow-moving trend from the past decade to an overnight fundamental change in how work gets done in the professional and “white-collar” workforce. Managers have had to find ways to setup IT infrastructures, allocate workloads, track results and change communication approaches. Tools such as Ms Teams and Zoom have experienced exponential increases in use as many of us have developed expertise and skills we didn’t know we had. What are the impacts of this change on individuals and businesses, and what do leaders believe the long-term changes might be? Has COVID-19 been the catalyst that forever changes our approach to offices and commutes?

This panel is a mix of leaders from IT, manufacturing and distribution, and HR. The experience ranges from companies with long experience at virtual work teams, to companies who have had to make the overnight change to these environments as part of their COVID-19 response, to consultancies who have helped companies make this transition.

Your Panelists

• Dave Cavan, Growth Strategist, Increment (un)Consulting, Panel Moderator
• Wim Kerkhoff, CEO Kerkhoff Technologies
• Sofia Arisheh, Principal, Upskill Consulting
• Ralph Newbigin, COO, Werkmaster

Leveraging the Contingent Workforce Effectively – Post-Covid – 9:00 AM PT

Before Covid-19 happened, the contingent workforce and gig-economy were on the rise. Covid-19 has advanced this well beyond a trend to a permanent change in how work gets done. Companies leveraging the flexibility and expertise of the contingent workforce will emerge stronger on the other side of this pandemic.

Outsourcing specialized talent is a great way to augment capabilities flexibly to address immediate needs quickly, without the burden of laying off permanent employees.

We may be seeing waves of social isolation and lockdown return in the next 12-18 months making ongoing agility in your workforce essential. During this webinar, Kathy and Cara will share the do’s and don’ts of managing a successful contingent workforce.

Your speaker

Kathy Andrews, Managing Director Cinga Leadership and Learning. Kathy is an accomplished, highly engaging facilitator and organizational development consultant who has been coaching, training and implementing talent development programs for close to 20 years in private, public & non-profit sectors.

Cara McColman is an outstanding facilitator, talent development and engagement champion offering over 20 years of experience designing and implementing successful people programs, culture initiatives and training solutions in public, private, and non-profit sectors in North America, Asia and the Middle East.

Adapting your sales team when there’s no buyers to be found – 10:00 AM PT

You’ve survived the initial plunge that saw sales and revenues drop significantly, and even more worrisome is that your pipelines are evaporating.  But you made the decision that your best sales people are one of your greatest assets, and your client relationships are still intact (or can be recovered).  This webinar is a long-term view from a knowledgeable sales practitioner with experience in keeping a team motivated, clients engaged, and processes effective as you consider what changes you need to make to move forward and begin to generate revenue again.

Your Speaker

Karen Meckelborg is the Founder and CEO of Fio Connect.  She is an experienced business leader who helps companies grow.   For over 25 years Karen has led companies in a wide range of industries, developing business strategy with a focus on sales and marketing leadership in Canada, the US, and the UK.  She is a recognized subject matter expert with experience in sales strategy, content marketing, building new revenue models, and in team motivation.  Karen brings practical experience that spans multiple economic downturns with companies that have had to rethink and retool their sales and marketing teams to meet the challenges of rapid change and market disruptions.

Is your product a painkiller or a vitamin? How to plan for the impacts of the pandemic on your marketing strategy – 11:00 AM PT

The impacts of surviving the initial drop in revenues and profits have left your business with a limited cash runway. You are considering the potential challenges of an economic downturn, industries that are decimated, and clients that are no longer buying everything you produce. Market conditions have driven down demand for your products, and the question is how long this will go on, and how you build scenarios that allow you to plan for several potential outcomes as you start the process of recovery.

This presentation helps to answer the question about whether your product is a vitamin, in a market where painkillers are the only things selling, and what you can do to create effective and practical plans for your sales and marketing team to manage through those challenges.

Your speaker

Andreas Schleich is the Chief Executive Officer of North Vancouver-based Romi Lab a company that provides fractional marketing leadership to teams, and execution where needed. Andreas is serial CEO and hired-gun executive. He prospers when faced with compound business problems, often finding winning solutions lurking beneath the surface. His approach to consulting applies his core knowledge of digital marketing, sales, and data analysis, paired with his formal education in marketing and international business. He is a natural leader amassing followers for over 20-years.