The pandemic has forced many of us to work remotely, which has provided employees with a lot more flexibility. Nevertheless, we no longer have the exchanges at the water cooler, in-person meetings, or grabbing an impromptu lunch together. Without those interactions, employees become more siloed in their roles and don’t have the trust and physiological safety necessary for teams to feel productive and impactful. Therefore, we must redefine the way we work and must address these challenges to ensure that our employees and organizations can thrive in the future.
1. Self-Care Is A Leadership Skill
A study showed that when leaders are stressed, their anxiety can be sensed throughout the entire organization. Increasingly, good employees are no longer willing to put up with this and quit their jobs to preserve their mental health. When leaders neglect to manage their stress, employees see their leader as detrimental or ineffective.
"Put your oxygen mask on first before attempting to assist others." - Flight Attendant.
On every flight, the flight attendant reminds us to "Put your oxygen mask on first, before attempting to assist others." Taking care of ourselves first is an essential mantra for managing as well. The stress of the last two years has made self-care for you and your leadership a strategic priority. Ensuring physical and mental health is essential for managing through this time. As Epictetus, the Greek stoic philosopher said: "Make it your business to draw out the best in others by being an exemplar yourself."
Employees can see right through you, and their confidence in you wanes when you lack motivation and are exhausted. Employees will hide their struggles if you pretend that you are not impacted and do not address your challenges. Influential leaders make time to take care of themselves by:
• Getting at least 7 hours of sleep
• Taking time to exercise
• Ensuring to take breaks during the day
• Setting clear work/life boundaries
• Fully disconnecting when they take time off
Building a healthy, compassionate work environment is now more critical than ever. If your employees see that you prioritize your well-being, they will do the same.
2. Get Everyone on the Same Page
Today's challenges provide an excellent opportunity for you to check-in with your leaders and overall team to understand how they have been affected and ensure everyone is on the same page. Employees need a well-defined shared purpose and a clear definition of the company's values. In addition, it is an opportunity to discuss everyone's role and contributions to its goals.
Leaders should work with their teams to reestablish their collective goals. As Peter Drucker, one of the most influential thinkers on management, said: "...having a say in goal setting and action plans encourage participation and commitment among employees, as well as aligning objectives across the organization."Teams thrive if goals are clearly defined. Clarity about their work, what it means for themselves, and the overall organization. What do you do, but more importantly, why does it matter, and how does it align with their career goals?
"...having a say in goal setting and action plans encourage participation and commitment among employees, as well as aligning objectives across the organization." - Peter Drucker.
3. Recognize, Praise, and Appreciate
In times of stress and anxiety, one of the most critical management practices is the simple act of recognizing, praising, and appreciating your employees' work. Amply data points to the importance of employee recognition. A recent survey asked over 1,500 employees, at various companies, about their view of recognition at their organization - 82% consider recognition an essential part of their happiness at work. Simply saying thank you or praising a specific employee in team meetings or a group email. Affirmation makes people feel proud and validated during a time of stress and uncertainty.
4. Listen to Your People
According to a Gallup study of the State of the American Workplace, only 30% of employees strongly agree that their opinions seem necessary to their employer. Furthermore, 60% of employees don't share their views because they feel they are not listened to. Listening to employees increases engagement and productivity. High-performing leaders seek out their employees' input and act upon it. They invite them to raise issues immediately, discuss the team, and plan regular open forums to ask questions and share their thoughts. When the team has a voice, they will be proactive in participating. Effective managers are inclusive in their approach and trust their team to help solve the organization's most pressing challenges.
5. In-person Offsite
At the first company that I started, we didn't want geography to constrict our talent pool. As a result, many of the employees worked remotely. We quickly recognized that being remote made it harder to forge personal connections and get everyone on the same page. So, we got together for three days, every six months, for an all-employee offsite. It became one of the most effective ways to spend quality time together and build deep connections.
It is a forum for teams to share ideas, work on strategic projects together, and set organizational goals. But the offsite shouldn't only focus on work. Ensure that your team has plenty of unstructured time during the offsite to hang out and get to know each other. We always also planned fun evening activities, permitting our team to loosen up a little to get to know each other better. The activities ranged from highbrow events like a night at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum to low-key activities such as trivia night at a bar. The offsite always helped bring the team on the same page.
6. Initiate Informal Interactions
When people are in the office together, they see each other in the hallways or gather in the kitchen over coffee. These interactions often bring employees from various teams together and allow junior associates to connect with their senior coworkers. For example, I hosted a weekly voluntary cross-functional 30-minute team meeting for the sole purpose of building connections. We shared exciting aspects of our work and often ended with team members affirming each other. Another great practice that a client of mine implemented is the 5 and 10 Rule – the first five minutes in 30 minutes or the first 10 in a one-hour meeting are for catching up with each other personally. Other personal connection practices that I used were virtual coffee dates, virtual book clubs, and a weekly Peloton Team fitness challenge.
The suitable activities will increase your employee engagement and help your team connect. Of course, needs and personalities differ for every group. Make sure that your activity resonates with your employees and fits in with your culture. What works for your sales team probably will not work for your data scientist team.
Deliberate Managing is A Necessity
We must redefine the way we work. Even before the pandemic, employees were struggling with the current work model. However, high-performing leaders have figured out critical management practices that help their employees' effectiveness. To avoid employee burnout, lack of engagement, and employees jumping ship, leaders must manage stress, provide clear expectations, acknowledge their people's feelings, and provide opportunities for their employees to connect on a personal level.
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