Top tips for managers and leaders to successfully lead their team through Covid 19
Covid 19 has changed the way we work and lead teams.
It is really important that managers and leaders can recognise the new challenges facing employees.
The isolation of working from home impacts individuals differently and so leadership styles need to be reflected on and adapted to this new way of working.
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Communicate clearly, often and simply
Provide a clear understanding of what is expected from your team, set clear priorities and expectations of roles
Be available via regular catch ups individually and team – phone and zoom/Microsoft teams mix it up as people are getting Zoom /Microsoft teams’ fatigue! Don’t cancel these unless really need to
A robust performance appraisal process with measurable KPI’s will help with this. But these may need to be reviewed and adjusted, make sure they are realistic
Share what you can about how the business going
People are uber sensitive about their job security, so it is important that they have a sense of being informed and kept up to date
Stay true to your values and culture
Core values inform and reinforce your company’s culture, strategic direction, recruitment processes and how you interact with your customers and clients
Acknowledge that the meaning of values might vary with these challenging times, with most people remote working
Lead by example
For employees to adapt they need to feel valued. This will assist in their productivity and ultimate success.
You want your culture to be one that is supportive, empathetic, inclusive, collaborative, proactive and encourages initiative
Recognize and reward employees who embrace and live the values, call this out int team forums
Genuinely care about your teams’ well-being
Check in regularly and ask how your team really are, truly listen
Be flexible to their person circumstances
Show that you are human too, be authentic, talk about your fears, answer questions and reassure them about work and personal issues
Have fun – in these challenging times find ways to connect and have fun…ask the team what works for them
Promote your company Employee Assistance Program - make sure employees know where to find information, guidance and support for mental health
Find out from your team what in terms of wellbeing initiatives, some suggestions are 10,000 /day step challenge, 1 hour/ day to do someone that makes you feel good, exercise/cooking relaxing this helps connectedness with employees and increases morale
Promote the wellbeing initiatives that already exist
Need a hand building your organisations capabilities to lead through Covid-19?
Let us help. To learn more about building and executing an inclusive strategy for your employees, contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
Article by Phoebe Reid
