As we begin to “rebound”, we’ll be asked more and more to trust people we don’t know. We are now interdependent on the restaurant worker, bank teller, retail clerk, and other professionals’ we, as consumers, come in contact with. When I do venture out, my hope is that employees are highly engaged in delivering the best, and safest possible experience to me as a customer. I hope they care about their company, leaders and coworkers. They want to deliver well on the promise of the brand and level of service. They are honest, and stay home if they’re sick, without fear of retribution or losing their job. They are trustworthy, because they know the lack of trust could cost someone’s life. They are compassionate and therefore patient and understanding with pivots and constant changes as their organization works to respond to new situations daily. That’s what I need to venture out to shop, dine, thrive again in my community.

How do we ensure customers are ready to engage with our product or service? We want each interaction a customer has with our brand, product or service, to not only be outstanding but now we need it to be safe. How do we, as leaders within communities and businesses, give employees what they need to deliver on that comfortable and safe customer need?  Today, it’s not just about what drives behavior, it’s also about being acutely aware of the customer’s new point of view in connection to that behavior.  It’s the combination of employee and customer working together that will make or break our recovery. The interdependence of one to the other is ignored at our peril.  People need to feel safe and cared for at work.  In turn, they will have the engagement and energy to keep customers safe and cared for. Those customers will then feel safe engaging in their community. A community where now our lives are more interwoven than ever before. Warren Buffet reminds us – “You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.” Who will we be in this crisis? We are fully exposed, as individuals and communities. We are now truly #alonetogether. It’s the together part I want us to get right. Let’s listen, let’s learn, let’s adapt, let’s innovate, let’s care, more than we ever have before. My life and yours may depend on it.

Curt Coffman is the Co-Founder of The Coffman Organization. A trained psychologist, Curt gets people. Prior to founding The Coffman Organization, Curt spent 22 years at The Gallup Organization as the Global Practice Leader for employee and customer engagement consulting. He is a New York Times Bestselling Author and Executive Fellow at The Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver.