Courageous and Curious – this is how we are getting through the crisis!

Most people expected an economic downturn, but no one could have imagined that the global economy would nosedive due to an unknown virus. Nothing has been the same this spring, neither at home nor at work.

“I’m am thankful for the tremendous and quick decisiveness shown by the entire group. We provided information and implemented measures early on,” says Kicki Heijel Gustafsson from HR at Proton Group.

“I take my hat off to all of our amazing employees who are respecting this situation, taking it seriously and doing all they can to find solutions. It’s fantastic to see.”

“Our supervisors send home staff who may be coughing more than usual, and that is something we appreciate,” says Tatjana Karanovic, Union Representative for IF Metall at Proton Lighting. “It’s better to be safe than sorry. And we have actually noticed that fewer people are off sick now.”

 

Concerns have waned for most

For Kicki, daily life in the coronavirus pandemic involves feedback, negotiations, and agreements with local clubs and departments, as well as never-ending efforts to provide information that changes rapidly.

“But we’ve engaged in good dialogue the whole time. Everyone is fully convinced that we will get through this,” says Kicki.

Tatjana agrees:

“We have had good discussions and everyone is doing their best in the situation to ensure that we can keep our jobs. That’s the most important thing right now. Of course, there has been a lot of concern on the floor. How long can we go on like this? When you see other companies letting people go and perhaps even shutting down businesses completely, it creates worry.”

However, the concern that most Proton Group employees felt when the world was turned upside down in March has slowly waned. More than ever, it has become clear how important it is to live in the present. Of course, many questions remain, but the answers are rarely valid for more than one week ahead.

“I believe that most of us want to stay healthy, help our loved ones, and redouble our efforts at work to make sure we get through this together,” says Tatjana.

 

Slight upturn after the standstill

Short-time working has resulted in a novel workday for almost all units. And although it is impossible to predict the future, David Gustafsson, CEO of Proton Group, is cautiously hopeful since the standstill in vehicle-related businesses seems to have passed. The recovery will in all likelihood be erratic and uncertain for a time, but an essential stability now exists.

“When this year started, we had been working actively on making improvements and we had good steerageway with greater profitability than we’d had for a long time,” says David.

“Proton Group went into the crisis strong, which really helped. And I believe we will learn from this and emerge even stronger and better equipped for the future.”

“Sometimes, encountering a challenge can be constructive, if you are strong enough to deal with it. We will have a new normal after this,” says David.

“Perhaps we will start to appreciate the ordinary more once the pandemic is over. And until then, we have to make the most of now.”

 

Time to be curious and courageous

So, what path is Proton Group taking through the crisis? An important part of the answer can be gleaned from two of Proton’s keywords, Curious and Courageous, which seem particularly relevant right now.

“All crises offer new opportunities. “If we remain curious by testing new paths, being creative and taking initiative, we will learn something new,” says David.

“Being courageous means being able to admit that things are tough right now. Being a wide-eyed optimist doesn’t help anyone but, with good insight and a concerted effort, you can achieve virtually anything.

“Being courageous means seeing the truth about our situation, as well as not giving up and continuing to face up to the challenges we encounter along the way – and daring to believe that everyday life will return to normal.”