Leading During Times of Change – Tips for Managers

Best Practices : Article

The last few weeks have proved to be challenging for many of us. Companies around the world, including Virtual, were left to act quickly in response to the Coronavirus to maintain the health and safety of employees. Our normal has shifted from seeing friends and colleagues every day, to finding ways to adjust to the new normal of working remotely.

Whether this is the first time you’ve worked remotely, or you are a pro, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of what it means to work during these unprecedented times. The following tips were created to help managers support these new ways of working. The goal is to help managers connect with their staff, reinforce a philosophy on providing flexibility and demonstrate care and concern for the emotional and physical well-being of their employees.

Think about how you show up it’s ok to share your vulnerability as it allows people to relate to each other during this uncertain time. It is also important to reassure everyone that we will get through this together. Optimism can be contagious and good leaders keep their team calm and focused on the future.

Start all meetings and interactions by asking how people are doing, how are they feeling, how are things going at home, what challenges are they facing, how are their families and friends, pets, etc. Show people that you care and provide support as needed.

Recognize and celebrate successes make sure you are taking the time to recognize both efforts and results and make a point of reaching out to say it. Recognition goes a long way, especially during challenging times.

Convey that wellness is critical during this time and take a few minutes to ask where your team is on a wellness scale of 1-10. Reiterate it’s ok to have days that are lower and some that are higher and as a team we can help support each other. It’s a quick way for you to check how people are really doing.

Find ways to put the “human” in our technology and use video whenever you can. Remember that a lot can get lost over email and phone calls without both verbal and nonverbal cues. When possible, pick up the phone rather than going back and forth with several emails.

Take time to listen to how people are adjusting, we all have our good and bad days, let the team members support each other and know that we are figuring this out together. Feeling heard can go a long way and provides learning opportunities for all of us as we have never been in this situation before.

Remind your staff that they should get up and walk around, take breaks, take a walk,, etc. – all the things that you might do while in the office. Reiterate that you do not expect employees to stay at their desk for 8 hours a day without moving. Let them know that physical movement and emotional wellbeing are just as important.

Reiterate that time off is important and be supportive, if not encouraging, that your team takes planned time off. Communicate that you want your employees to recharge which will make them more effective at home and in the office – even though it’s now one place!

If possible, be flexible and where possible, let employees adjust their schedule to either start later than usual or end sooner, or work a compressed workweek to help with personal needs.

Remind employees of resources that are available whether it be EAP, telehealth, time off, etc. and that they should reach out to Human Resources if they have additional questions.

At the end of the day, it’s important to find what works best for you and your employees. Take this time to connect and take nothing for granted. By supporting each other now, you will come out at the other end as a much stronger team and company. Who knows – you may find that you’ll want to continue the daily check-ins, walking breaks, or a video conference with another department. In the end life, as well as our work is about how you treat each other, as Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

 

Bonnie Bystrek, Chief People Officer

Bonnie is responsible for driving Virtual’s culture and people strategy that enables our talented team of professionals to partner with our clients to make their mark on the world. She brings over 25 years of experience, including as a vice president of Human Resources at Steward Health Care, where she oversaw the business and cultural transformation of a 2,300-person Boston-based hospital. In addition, she has also held executive level roles at State Street and Tower Group Companies. Bonnie holds a Master of Science degree in Human Resources from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Organizational Behavior from the University of Connecticut.

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