‘Can I work from home three days a week?’
‘I’m worried I’ll catch Coronavirus by touching something in the office’
‘What if I go to a client meeting and they are not observing social distancing?’
‘Is my job secure?’
‘How to I stay safe and keep my family safe?’
People have a lot of questions at the moment, and the answers are not always clear. Many organisations are facing the challenges of motivating and reassuring staff at a time when the world of work is facing significant changes.
As lockdowns tentatively start to ease, some people are returning from furlough and others are contemplating how they will resume at least some face-to-face activity.
How can we support our people, our colleagues and ourselves through the weeks and months ahead? This article provides some suggested strategies for supporting people at any time, and particularly at challenging times like this.
1.
Communicate clearly and often
It’s difficult to over communicate
these days. Reaching out to people
individually or in teams, is a simple thing to do but immensely powerful. Most great leaders are great communicators. A few tips to think about when communicating
with your people:
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W.I.I.F.M. Good communications always answer the key
question for staff – what’s in it for me (W.I.I.F.M.). Think about why they should make the time to
engage with the messages.Clarity and authenticity are key if you want people
to buy into your message.- Listen. For many work is evolving into something different. As people start to return to work in the ‘new normal’ (whatever
that will be!), it’s important to listen to any concerns and provide reassurance
where possible. Simply asking ‘how do you feel?’ can make a big difference. If people are feeling anxious it is better to
acknowledge rather than dismiss it, and then seek ways to explore it and find
solutions together.
- Talk. We all
need someone we can trust to talk to.
Senior leaders and business owners are no exception, but it can be
difficult to open up. Our networks are
important at a time like this. Talking
to a trusted colleague or friend and acknowledging our own concerns will build
our resilience and enable us to support others better.
2.
Instil a sense of purpose and value
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People and organisations need purpose. A strong sense of purpose helps to put events
into perspective, to focus things that are important, to think about the
difference we are making and to move forward.
- People
need purpose. Martin Seligman, the guru
of Positive Psychology, believes that we find fulfilment by working to our strengths for a purpose greater than ourselves. If we are clear on what we are doing
and why that matters, this builds confidence and resilience.
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Organisations need purpose. This is a great time to ensure you are clear
on the core purpose of your organisation.
What is the job that your customers or clients need you to do? How do
you make an impact on the world? As
Simon Sinek says
‘what’s your why?”
Discussing this with your staff and
colleagues can help anchor your people and lower the volume on their
insecurities. (Simon’s Ted Talk from 2009
has over 50 million views and is equally relevant today).
- Demonstrate that you value your people and
colleagues.Studies have shown that
people who feel valued are more engaged and more productive at work. Focussing on key strengths and achievements
and reminding people why they are important to the organisation will help to
dispel anxiety and get them focussed on doing a great job.
3.
Coach and support your people and colleagues
Adopting
a coaching mindset, whereby you help people to learn and grow, has a big impact
on engagement, wellbeing and progression. This is all about open conversations with a focus on developing,
encouraging and empowering people. Some
examples of good coaching points to discuss with people at this time of crisis
could include:
- Focus on the things you can control. People often worry about the things they
can’t control, this builds anxiety and stress.
Focussing on what you can control will build more confidence and help
people to be more positive (eg if
someone is worrying about the risk of catching the virus at work, focus on what
they can control within their environment).
- Nurture a Growth Mindset. Carol Dweck talks about how we can
adopt a growth mindset (Mindset: Changing the way you think to fulfil your
potential by Carol Dweck)
The
premise behind the Growth Mindset is that everyone can change and grow through effort
and experience. Creating a learning
culture where people are encouraged to embrace rather than avoid
challenge will increase achievement. A
positive mindset combined with a work ethic is a recipe for success. It’s
the power of ‘not yet’ – the difference between
‘I’m
no good at this’
And
‘
I’m not good at this YET’
- Re-boarding your staff. If you’ve had staff at home who are returning
to the office, put the same effort into re-boarding them that you would into
on-boarding a new member of staff. They
will expect things to be different – so invest some time to discuss with them
the core purpose of your work, the key priorities, what’s expected from them
and what support is available. And
importantly, discuss their goals and dreams and how you can support them. Sometimes a crisis provides a great
opportunity for people to show what they can do.
4.
Know the rules!
It sounds obvious, but it’s essential to
be on top of the current guidance and advice.
Managers and business owners must be up to date with the guidance and clear
how your organisation is complying. This
needs to be communicated clearly and confidently to staff.
There is lots of support out there
such as that published by ACAS. We won’t
go into the details here but make sure you understand the changing landscape as
it applies to your business.
CIPD urges employers to apply three
rules before bringing staff back into the workplace (but remember the guidance
will continue to evolve)
- Is it essential? If
people can continue to work from home they should continue to do
- Is it sufficiently
safe?
- Is it mutually agreed?
5.
Be kind
Kindness is often underrated, but is
powerful to both the giver and receiver. This is a time to be compassionate, to give back and to show
kindness.This does not mean you ignore
your organisational goals or diminish your work ethic. Kindness can sit alongside this.It’s nothing
new, Aristotle said:
“It is the
characteristic of the magnanimous man to ask no favour but to be ready to do
kindness to others.”
If you’d like to discuss any of these ideas further, or if Brigid can support you or your teams, please contact brigid@envision-solutions.co.uk
Causeway is hosting a free online event at 4pm on Tuesday 16 June on Preparing yourself and Your Team for the 'New Normal' - Register for this webinar today!