In the spirit of learning from one another as we work toward common goals and inspiring a brighter 2021, here are some lessons our team has found successful thus far:

Communicate. Frequent communication is important in the face of uncertainty. In its absence, we create our own narratives that are often far from the truth. At BCBSA, we have maintained many touchpoints with our employees since March, from virtual Town Hall meetings and Learning Exchanges to executive messages and live Q&As. These outlets have allowed us to share where we're headed as an organization and to hear from our employees on where they need more support.
Be human. As we adjusted to a fully remote workforce in the earliest days of the pandemic, not only did our cadence have to change, but so too did our tone. Without the benefit of sitting down with one another, we knew leading through relationships would be more important than ever and so we leveraged shared stories, inserted photos and removed our titles from our messages. We included personal anecdotes and encouraged sharing. We're all human, but sometimes it's easy to lose that personal voice in corporate messaging. By slowing down and honoring our authenticity, we connected with our employees from afar.
Adjust and adapt. Socially, emotionally and financially, it has been a tough year. We all remember having to make quick decisions as the realities of the pandemic started to become clear in March. As the guidance and government response evolved, we quickly adapted our remote work strategy where needed and updated our employees along the way. Staying closely connected with our employees served as a good reminder that in uncertain times, how important it was for us to provide as much certainty as possible about our path forward, and we adjusted our communications accordingly
Trust your people. To move a largely in-office population into their homes and maintain business continuity in the midst of a pandemic, trust is essential. Employees must trust in their organization to navigate this crisis, and organizations must trust employees to continue to do great work. What I've experienced in my life is that we are more alike than we are different and that in our work we want to feel valued, appreciated and accomplished. That's the belief our trust is based on, and our teams have proved us right many times over. I am incredibly grateful for the trust they continue to reciprocate in return.

How we got here is how we'll get there

For over 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies have provided security and compassion to the communities we serve. We support, invest in and build programs and partnerships that positively impact the health and well-being of all Americans. This year was no different.

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Learning & leading with compassion through COVID-19

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