We're living in challenging times. Now is the time for managers to proactively support their teams. These pragmatic tips can help.
The past few weeks and months have once again reminded of how much our businesses and personal lives can be buffeted by external forces. Many are still processing the new shocks. No one knows what all the implications will be.
It reminds us of how difficult it is to predict the needs of our employees and leaders.
It should also remind us that our employees, colleagues, and leaders are human first.
Managers are in a tough position: business hasn’t stopped, customers still need to be served, decisions still need to be made. You still need your team to work together, to keep operations running, and to continue to push ahead with great ideas. Yet, your people are distracted, uncertain, and potentially deeply divided. So are you.
Business-as-usual, much less new ideas, and great execution, sounds pretty hard.
Managers — this is an opportunity to show care for your teams. This is a time to proactively reach out and support your people. This is a time to lead.
It isn’t easy, but leading through what feels like never-ending uncertainty is part of the leadership you already do. Tapping into people’s sense of meaning in their work, reinforcing belonging, and reminding them of their resilience can still help. We’ve pulled together some tips to help you lead productively through the next few weeks.
Put on your own mask first
Finally, take care of yourself. As a manager, you can set the tone for team resilience by navigating adversity effectively. The stew of thoughts and feelings can lead to distraction, lack of focus, and irritability as well as poor sleep and unhealthy eating and drinking habits.
Manage the physical outcomes of your own internal discord and encourage your people to do the same. It's generally easier to react with empathy, curiosity, and patience when we aren't in the grip of flight-or-flight reactions. Simple deep breathing and anchoring exercises can slow heart rate and help manage the most destabilizing aspects of your reactions.
The next few weeks might not hit all of your goals. Be flexible and continue to communicate clearly and compassionately with your team. Think about what outcomes for your team are most important to you and the company. While it is challenging to keep moving forward amid uncertainty, if you focus on caring for each other you can emerge more cohesive and more strongly committed.