In this moment, we have a golden opportunity for corporate leaders to do something really hard. Get their people to change. This pandemic has set up a big, shiny pressure cooker environment that is forcing behavior change whether we like it or not. From my perspective as a corporate leadership coach, it’s the right time to encourage healthier ways to work, and I say, the perfect time to empower your employees to co-create the change both you and they want to see for your company.
The pandemic we’re in is creating enormous pressure, and it’s causing our business to mutate drastically. The other day one of my clients expressed concern that employees were mentally, not just physically, very scattered. Others were talking about unproductive meetings, still others realizing just how many dinners they missed with their kids now that the corner office is the kitchen table. A few are having, dare I say it, their values stepped all over by not having their employees in eye sight.
I’ll tell you what I’m telling them. Allow your workplace to evolve AND do it with intention. Allow yourselves, your work and personal lives to change for the better. It’s time to create a vaccine that encourages healthy company cultures through new behaviors that have been forced upon us. I really want leaders to disrupt themselves even more by seeing the silver lining in all of this (as hard as it is right now) and create new norms from these behaviors. Norms keep things going in times of strife.
CONNECT DEEPLY by taking the time to share stories– The pandemic-sized elephant is in the room anyway so take the time for employees to let their stories out at the beginning of video or teleconferences. Just offer ten minutes of safe psychological space. Some will share funny stories, others ones of pain. Processing these feelings out loud is healthy for people and it’s a way to create meaningful connection for them even when they are apart. It also lets employees get it out, and then get on with their work.
CO-CREATE NORMS by allowing employees to design schedules that work for them– Right now, telecommuting is de facto for most people who work in the office. Why not poll your workforce now to see if after the pandemic is over, they would like to mainly telecommute? If yes, and you are resistant, consider if this could save you money on office space, or feed into your corporate need to improve sustainability by keeping your employees from commuting? I’d argue that ultimately telecommuting is going to make your workforce more productive out of necessity.
SELF-REGULATE by checking in with your own life– Like many people with significant responsibilities your life was likely extremely busy, if not chaotic at times. Now that you’ve had to slow down, not globetrotting anymore for example, take some time to challenge the misconception that busier means being more productive. Or that missing all that time with family is sustainable.
I’m talking about getting unstuck. What behaviors are you and your teams having to unstick right now to get through this, and can those norms be applied after the virus is more of less contained? What healthier habits in this regard can you carry forward in your personal life and as a leader? Start intentionally designing them now with your employees (so they own it too) while people are forced to change and adapt. Implement them when things settle down.