While ultimately leaders must ensure their organizations continue to effectively serve their customers during challenging times, and therefore, that employees remain productive, it’s particularly important right now that those in leadership and management roles never lose sight of the fact that employees may be challenged to pay for groceries, may need to take occasional breaks throughout the day to attend to children or help them with their school work, or may need time during the work week to drop off groceries to elderly family members or neighbors.
Regardless of whether one is the leader of a single team, or has several teams with their own leaders reporting up to him or her, there’s always been a bit of dichotomy between the lifestyle and income that a leader has and his or her direct reports have. While most employees have mulled this over from time to time, this difference in income and lifestyle may be more top of mind with employees right now if they are struggling to make ends meet, trying to keep a parent afloat emotionally and/or financially, or overwhelmed with keeping children safe, occupied and fed during our current pandemic.
To demonstrate empathy and build trust during this time, while still role modeling as a strong leader, leaders can and should adhere to the following “DO’s” and “DON’TS”:
DO’S:
- Begin any team or direct report phone call or video chat or e-mail by inquiring about how everyone is doing and acknowledging the challenging times.
- Continue to ask for feedback from employees about the challenges they face completing their work – both challenges posed by working remotely as well as due to the pandemic.
- Ask what processes or changes he or she could put in place to help employees complete their work.
- If not detrimental to the organization in-question, offer flexible schedules for work completion – such as the ability to complete work at night or on the weekends.
- Praise team and direct reports for the work they are getting accomplished, and for any creativity and innovation they are bringing to the situation.
- Add some fun or creativity to group meetings by playing a game or proposing a theme for group video chats, like wearing a favorite hat or the jersey of a favorite sports team.
- Solicit information from employees and celebrate any team member milestones or successes – whether they be years of service, a birthday, or anniversary.
- Acknowledge any losses that individuals may be experiencing – such as a death in the family – COVID19 or not COVID19-related.
- Consider asking direct reports or team members to take on new or additional work if a team member is unable to complete his/her work because of family responsibilities/responsibilities at home.
- Think about how you can instill some sense of routine or normalcy. Are there any practices or routines that your team had pre-pandemic that are important to continue during these challenging times?
- End any team or direct report phone call or video chat or e-mail with uplifting phrases and appreciation such as, “I know it’s really hard to stay focused right now, but I really appreciate how we are all pulling together and how everyone has each other’s backs.”
DON’TS:
- Talk about any challenges you, as a leader, are dealing with personally that may seem like a luxury or high-class problem to an employee, such as troubles you are experiencing with a food delivery service. It’s fine to commiserate on common issues like a shortage of hand sanitizer and toilet paper!
- Expect employees to operate at the same level of pre-pandemic effectiveness and efficiency. For a variety of reasons, it’s much more difficult for employees to stay as focused as they were before our challenging times.
- Berate an employee for feeling down or anxious. Instead, remind employees about any available EAP (Employee Assistance Program) benefits, or behavioral/mental health benefits that may be available through employer insurance programs.
- Based on federal and state employment guidelines, certain schedule/time-off, or workload exceptions may apply or only be available to certain employees; but, in general, don’t be too inconsistent across your team about exceptions you make related to an employee’s schedules or deliverables. If you must be inconsistent, without giving out employee-specific confidential information, explain reasoning behind inconsistencies.
- Don’t employ over-used phrases like “We Got This,” that may be received as meaningless or empty by your team. Instead, create some inspirational phrases specific to your team and direct reports and their work. Consider asking team members or direct reports to share their favorite fight song or to come up with some kind of slogan or phrase to end each video chat or team meeting with.
HOW WE CAN HELP
In keeping with the above – now, more than ever – organizations need to ensure that leaders develop necessary skills to demonstrate to their teams that they are empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and that they have the agility to effectively and quickly respond to whatever changes come their way. That’s why we’re offering “Everything DiSC Agile EQ,” and we will continue to offer this workshop and other leadership ones (you can view our online/virtual training options on our home page at https://bercumeassociates.com at any point in time) throughout the year.
In addition, the team at Bercume Associates is always available and glad to be engaged to coach you individually or several leaders at your organizations virtually about how to be perceived and operate as an empathetic leader during challenging times. So, please reach out.