Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford Talk Donating Clif Bars to Frontline Workers and Boosting Team Morale

TL;DR

Putting employees first can strengthen business resilience by encouraging people to develop innovative ways of working during a crisis. Clif Bar kept its bakeries operating as essential facilities, shifted office employees to remote work, donated 3.6 million bars before committing another 3 million, and used an attentive, adaptive approach to make decisions amid uncertainty.

Transcript

oh hello there everyone and welcome to how I built this quarantine edition I wanted to introduce you to Kiki she wanted to say hi but she doesn't really want to stay here too long so pass her off okay how's everybody doing it has been about I think five weeks since our team has been working from home and today you probably saw the news about retail... Read More

Key Insights

• Clif Bar remained operational because its food products and bakeries were considered essential, even though its Emeryville headquarters closed and about 450 office employees began working remotely.
• Demand for Clif Bar products rose sharply at the beginning of the crisis as consumers sought shelf-stable food, but the initial increase later moderated while demand remained high.
• Clif Bar donated 3.6 million bars to food banks, healthcare workers, and frontline workers, then committed another 3 million through a program called Baked with Love and Sent with Gratitude.
• Clif Bar products served healthcare workers because the bars were clean, safe, nutritious, and quick to eat during shifts that left little time for a seated meal.
• Employee safety was a central operating priority at Clif Bar's bakeries in Indiana and Twin Falls, where established production practices already required workers to operate under clean-room-like conditions.
• People-first leadership can encourage resilience because employees who feel supported may develop innovative ways to keep contributing, including childcare teachers remotely organizing storytime for parents and children.
• Community support was built into Clif Bar's business through one of its five aspirations, sustaining the community, which gave its community team an established role in disaster response and donations.
• Effective crisis leadership requires asking questions that do not yet have answers, building scenarios around uncertainty, and following Clif Bar's three-part practice of attentiveness, adaptation, and action.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Clif Bar support frontline workers during the pandemic?

Clif Bar initially donated 3.6 million bars to food banks, healthcare workers, and other frontline workers. It then committed another 3 million bars through a program called Baked with Love and Sent with Gratitude. The company viewed its products as practical food for healthcare workers who had little time to sit down between demanding tasks.

Q: How did Clif Bar distribute donated bars to healthcare facilities?

Clif Bar relied on its established community team, office employees, and field staff to coordinate donations and identify healthcare facilities across the country. Employees whose normal events were canceled, including field team members who otherwise would have attended the Boston Marathon, were redeployed to help locate recipients and connect them with available product donations.

Q: Why were Clif Bars useful to healthcare workers?

An emergency room doctor who was connected to Clif Bar's founding story described the bars as well suited to healthcare work because staff had little time to stop and eat. He said the product was clean, safe, and nutritious, allowing workers to eat quickly while moving from one urgent responsibility to the next.

Q: How did Clif Bar keep operating after closing its headquarters?

Clif Bar closed its Emeryville office on March 12 and shifted about 450 office employees to remote work. At the same time, its bakeries in Indiana and Twin Falls continued operating as essential facilities. The company effectively managed two working environments, supporting remote office staff while protecting employees responsible for producing food at the bakeries.

Q: What happened to demand for Clif Bars during the crisis?

Demand increased sharply at first as consumers purchased essential and shelf-stable products. Gary Erickson joked that Clif Bar might have ranked behind toilet paper and sanitizer during the initial surge. The increase later mellowed, but demand remained high enough for the company to continue production and meet both customer needs and large donation commitments.

Q: How can putting employees first improve business resilience?

Kit Crawford argued that putting people first can open the way for employees to devise innovative methods of continuing their work. At Clif Bar, people adapted their roles rather than simply repeating normal routines. Childcare teachers, for example, contacted parents and organized remote storytime, while other employees helped identify healthcare facilities that needed donated food.

Q: What questions should leaders ask when planning a return to the office?

Gary Erickson said leaders should ask important questions even when immediate answers are unavailable. For Clif Bar, those questions included when employees would return, whether they would wear face masks, how social distancing would work, and how people would eat safely. The company discussed these uncertainties and began developing possible scenarios instead of waiting for complete certainty.

Q: What is Clif Bar's attentiveness, adapt, and act approach?

Clif Bar's three-part crisis approach is to remain attentive, adapt, and act. Erickson emphasized being highly attentive to changing conditions throughout each day. Leaders can then adjust their assumptions and plans as new information emerges, before taking action based on the best available response. The method supports decisions when circumstances are changing and many questions remain unanswered.

Summary

In this video segment, Gary Erickson and Kate Crawford, founders of Clif Bar, share their experience of running a business during the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss the challenges they have faced, such as adapting to remote work and ensuring the safety of their essential workers. They also talk about their strategies for building resilience and supporting their employees and community during this difficult time. Erickson and Crawford emphasize the importance of putting people first, being attentive, and taking action in order to navigate through a crisis successfully.

Questions & Answers

Q: How has the COVID-19 crisis affected retail sales in the US?

March saw the steepest drop in recorded history for retail sales in the US, except for essential items and certain products.

Q: How has Clif Bar been impacted by the crisis?

Clif Bar, as an essential food product, has experienced increased demand during this time. They initially saw a spike in sales but the demand has since mellowed out. They have also been donating millions of bars to food banks and healthcare workers.

Q: How has Clif Bar adjusted to the shift to remote work?

Clif Bar closed its office before the official shelter-in-place order and had to quickly adapt to remote work. They communicate with employees regularly through emails, virtual meetings, and other initiatives to support and engage them.

Q: How does Clif Bar manage its manufacturing plants during the crisis?

Clif Bar's manufacturing plants are considered essential and have continued operating to meet the increased demand. They are taking measures to ensure the safety and well-being of their essential workers.

Q: How can businesses mitigate the impact of a crisis like this?

Erickson and Crawford advise putting people first and focusing on resilience. By being attentive, adapting to new circumstances, and taking action, businesses can navigate through the crisis more effectively.

Q: What advice do Erickson and Crawford have for leaders during this crisis?

They recommend asking questions, even if there are no immediate answers, and being attentive to opportunities and challenges. By staying focused on their employees and community, leaders can make decisions and take action to support their business and those around them.

Q: How should businesses think about opportunities and evolution during this crisis?

Erickson and Crawford suggest that businesses can think creatively about how to adapt and evolve during this time. The crisis may provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to start planning, experimenting, and exploring new possibilities for when the time is right.

Q: What is an example of a mistake or failure Clif Bar has experienced?

Clif Bar has had numerous product launches that did not succeed. They recognize that not every idea or product will work, but they keep experimenting and learning from their mistakes.

Q: How can small companies contribute during this crisis if they don't have the resources to give away their products?

Erickson and Crawford emphasize that every small act of support matters, whether it's offering encouragement, sending notes, volunteering, or finding creative ways to help in their communities.

Q: How can businesses and individuals maintain morale during this challenging time?

Erickson and Crawford recommend connecting with employees on a personal level, asking genuine questions about how they are doing, and finding ways to support and uplift each other. Small acts of kindness and meaningful connections can make a big difference in maintaining morale.

Takeaways

During this crisis, Clif Bar has focused on putting their people first and supporting their community. They have adapted to remote work, ensured the safety of their essential workers, and found innovative ways to support and engage their employees. Erickson and Crawford encourage leaders to ask questions, be attentive, and take action to navigate through a crisis. They also emphasize the importance of maintaining morale and finding opportunities for growth and creativity during challenging times.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Clif Bar closed its Emeryville office on March 12, sending about 450 people home while continuing production at bakeries in Indiana and Twin Falls. Demand initially spiked as consumers sought shelf-stable food, then moderated. The company focused on protecting employees while maintaining its role as an essential food producer.

• Clif Bar donated 3.6 million bars to food banks, healthcare workers, and other frontline workers, then committed another 3 million through its Baked with Love and Sent with Gratitude program. Its community team, field staff, office employees, and other workers helped identify healthcare facilities and coordinate distribution across the country.

• Erickson and Crawford described people-first leadership as the foundation of organizational resilience. They encouraged leaders to ask questions without immediate answers, permit employees to invent new ways of contributing, and follow a three-part practice: remain attentive, adapt to changing conditions, and act when a workable response becomes clear.