Reopening and going back to your workplace does not mean going ‘back to normal’– the workplace post-pandemic has forever changed. Here are some Situational Leadership strategies that will leaders navigate “re-boarding” the new processes and expectations for how people will return to the workplace.
1. Reflect and Recalibrate.
Businesses had to react almost immediately to adjust with the demands of the
pandemic. Now is the time to reflect on the lessons learned and the new
strategies that can be applied in the plan towards reopening.
Send a short reflection survey to your team to get feedback on specific processes that worked well and those that didn’t to decide which practices to continue moving forward.
Use targeted, purposeful survey questions to help your team members identify the next normal.
2. Assess the Current State.
Businesses refined and created new solutions and procedures to perform their
jobs during the pandemic.
Now, to get an assessment of the current state, identify and prioritize team members’ tasks.
Take time to determine skills and specific tasks that are now essential due to the changing work environment. Look for ways to leverage support, mentoring and delegation within the team.
3. Engage to Manage the Movement. If
you haven’t already implemented 1:1
coaching practices, now is the time to do so. This coaching is vital to
help team members navigate the fear that accompanies a changing environment.
Establishing proactive communication is essential to cultivate trust and personal connection.
Encourage your team to be accountable to their own performance and establish touchpoints to discuss current priorities, their status and what they need from you. Compare lists and develop a plan for direction and support.
What is one adjustment you can make, something to stop
doing or start doing, to increase your effectiveness as a coach?
At Aha! Leadership
we stand in support with all
humanity. In light of recent events, we unite with
the black community and recognize that racism is
real.
Leaders must lead
by being willing to engage in uncomfortable conversations that drive
change. The next right step is
to listen and learn.
There is a
difference between hearing and listening. Hearing
happens when we’re able
to recognize a sound. Listening happens when we put in the effort (action) to understand what it means. And when we take action, change happens.
As a leader, ask
yourself….
Are
you willing to lead?
Are
you willing to step
into uncomfortable territory?
Are
you willing to really
listen to others?
Are
you willing to act on what you learn?
Being receptive and understanding others are key components to creating a respectful workplace.
Please know, we are here to help your team listen, learn and create an inclusive workplace.
“To understand and be understood – those are among life’s greatest gifts and every interaction is an opportunity to exchange them.” – Maria Papova, writer
For a lot of us, the current situation we
are in means we are spending a lot of time working from home and in video
meetings. But why do virtual meetings seem more tiring than in person ones?
We miss out on non-verbal communication. We pay attention to the facial expressions, gestures, and tone of others and respond accordingly. During in-person meetings, this processing is automatic. However, video chat requires we devote significant energy and attention to pick up on non-verbal cues.
What’s going on in the background? We feel anxious about our new workspace and how it appears to our colleagues. We worry our kids, partners or parents could walk in at any moment. We also focus more of our attention on the backgrounds of others. The environment where meetings are held is also very important to our processing. We attribute certain meetings to specific rooms and adjust our behavior accordingly.
No more in-passing small talk. In-person, we often meet people on the way to a meeting and have time for small talk and catching up before the meeting starts. On video, it’s all business right from the start.
Watching ourselves is stressful. The heightened focus on facial cues and the ability to see ourselves has proven very stressful. Viewing negative facial expressions can intensify those feelings and emotions in ourselves and others.
Silence is awkward. Silence in real-life meetings is normal and provides rhythm. However, over video, we don’t know if the other person is listening or frozen. Silence makes us anxious about technology and lagging connections.
So, how can we reduce fatigue?
Experts suggest limiting video calls to only the essentials. Additionally, turning your camera off or your screen to the side can make the call less tiring.
Restructuring meetings may also be helpful. Try introducing a shared document in addition to the video call. Make time at the beginning of the meeting for small talk and catch-ups. Check-in on the well-being of others.
Lastly, building in transition periods can help us adjust. Try stretching
or doing some exercise before a video meeting. We need buffers to allow our
minds to transition our focus from one thing to the next.
“Change
the way you look at things and the things you look at change” -Wayne D. Dyer
Email is a communication currency that can lose its value very quickly if not used appropriately.
We “hear” what is being said through our senses, so when we can’t see verbal cues or hear someone speak, there is a greater chance for miscommunication. Working from home as a ‘new normal’ for many makes our email communication clarity even more critical.
To ensure your email communications are clear, we outlined
the following:
Include a clear, direct subject line. Examples include: “New Meeting Date,” “Quick question about your presentation,” or “Suggestions for the proposal.” People often decide whether to open an email based on the subject line, so ensure yours is clear what it contains.
Think twice before hitting ‘reply all.’ Refrain from hitting “reply all” unless you think everyone on the list needs to receive the email. IF you do copy everyone, write why you are doing so – outline why the person (s) were included.
Include your auto signature. This allows your email recipient to easily contact you, in case they want to call you in reply.
Use professional salutations. “Hey you guys,” “Yo,” etc . While the email may have a relaxed tone, you should still address an email professionally.
Use exclamation points sparingly. If you choose to use an exclamation point, we recommend using one to convey excitement. If overused, you can appear too emotional/immature.
Be cautious with humor. This is one where it can get lost in translation without the right audio tone and/or facial expression. This is best left for in-person or videoconferences.
Factor in different cultures speak and write differently. Tailor your message to the receiver’s cultural background or how well you know them.
Reply to your emails. This includes when the email was accidentally sent to you, especially if the sender is expecting a reply. Or if you were “copied” on it, you should let them know that you are intending Cathy to respond if directed to Cathy and Cathy is better equipped to handle. Example: “Cathy, I will assume you will reply to Joe on this issue.”
Proofread every message. Don’t rely on spell-checkers. Read and re-read your email a few times, preferably aloud, before sending it off. Grammarly is a free tool that helps with grammar beyond email spellchecks.
Add the email address last. It is easy to hit “send” by mistake before finishing your message. This will save a lot of headaches as you compose and proofread your message first.
Double-check that you’ve selected the correct recipient. Pay extra attention when typing a name from your address book on the email’s “To” line especially since it may autofill similar names.
Nothing is confidential—so compose your emails accordingly. Every electronic message leaves a trail.
Words
matter and words can be misunderstood. You can break a heart or start a war simply based on the words
you choose. We know communication is important – Especially now, as are working
remote and stress levels are high.
Remember,
everyone processes information differently. This gets into some
pretty nutty areas of neuroscience and behavior. For those of you who use DiSC
to aid your communications, attached is a refresher overview of how each style is wired.
For those that are not
familiar with DiSC, knowing someone’s DiSC style helps us communicate better
with them. For example, some people are
good at active listening, while others are not. How we absorb and digest
information is a factor as well. Some process information visually, while
others process through sound or touch. Lastly, perception based on what we want
to hear versus what’s said is also a huge factor.
Conversations can easily be misinterpreted because of a combination of bad communication habits: people are hurried when they speak; they’re distracted and not actively listening; or they simply have a lack of understanding or context to what is being said.
So how do you prevent your team from falling prey to miscommunication? Here are 5 steps:
1. Make sure everyone involved understands and realizes that misinterpretations are human nature. We’re all guilty of it. Just because you told someone something, doesn’t mean they got it.
2. Be aware of yourself and others. The more you know about yourself and those with whom you’re communicating, the more effective you will be in disseminating information to ensure you are aligned with someone else. This is especially helpful for aligning with people who are wired differently than you or who come from a very different background where their understanding of something could have a wildly different meaning from what you meant.
3. At the end of a conversation with someone, repeat what you heard. This allows for feedback on whether you understood the message in the way the speaker intended. You will be amazed by how many times the other person will say, “No, I didn’t mean that. I meant…” You will save time by taking this simple step to being tactically aligned.
4. Leave a few minutes at the end of a conversation or meeting to go over next steps. Allow for questions to provide further clarity or context for those who need it. This is especially important if a lot of different topics or ideas were discussed. Context shifting is a heavy task for our brains, so the more topics, the greater chance there is for tactical dissonance.
5. Account for the digital age we live in and be mindful of how you’re delivering your message. Email is best used to spread information, like recapping action items after a meeting or sharing attachments others need, NOT for in-depth communication. This means no debating, convincing or critiquing via email—save that for face-to-face communication.
The good news is, I truly
believe that our new working environment will help us develop stronger
communication skills if we slow down and use this time to focus on improving
the quality of our messages.
Knowing your team’s DISC assessment results is always beneficial since you can tailor everything from assignments to workstations to match your worker’s skill sets and preferences.
For remote workers,
the knowledge imparted by a DISC assessment is even more meaningful.
You’ll know how much support, attention and feedback each member will need, and even get a good idea of which of your team members can handle the sometimes-isolating aspects of remote work. Since each individual style needs different support and will value different aspects of remote work, knowing what to offer is essential if you want to have a successful remote program.
Click here for an overview of how to support your remote team based on their DiSC style.
