Video Explosion

Most leaders had experience with video conferencing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it seems that it’s everywhere. Resources such as GoToMeeting, TEAMs (Microsoft Office) and the now ubiquitous Zoom have overnight become essential communication tools.

Leaders who are managing a remote workforce should use one of these as part of frequent check ins with your teams. It gives you a little more information on how your staff is doing when you can see their faces on video rather than simply listening on a conference call.

Create Some Structure

How are you and your staff handling the “new normal” of working remotely, that is, working from home during this pandemic? This is still relatively new to many, and one of the things that helps is to create some structure.

You need to stay connected to your staff, so you want to establish a check in time as a group and/or individually at predetermined times of the day. Here are some things to consider as you get into this groove.

Take Time to Breathe

Brother Richard Hendrick, a Capuchin Franciscan living in Ireland, penned a touching poem about coronavirus. He shared “Lockdown” in a Facebook post on Friday, March 13. Since then, it has gone viral.

Lockdown
by Brother Richard

Be Calm and Prepared

Leaders who stay calm in a crisis have superior results than those who get caught up in the anxiety. We’re all being tested by this with the escalation of COVID-19 cases.

Whatever messages you’re providing to your staff, it’s important to create an emergency plan so that you aren’t caught off guard.

Closing the Perception Gap

An excellent way to close the gap between an employee’s self-perception and yours is to ask for a self-evaluation. This is something that can be integrated in your annual performance appraisal process.

I recommend that you include qualitative and quantitative questions in the self-appraisal. Think about asking 8-10 questions and ask for specific answers.

Look for the Unexpected

I was doing a presentation for a client this week and was intrigued by a meeting taking place near them in the conference center. Many of the attendees were wearing clothing with a zebra motif, which was certainly attention getting.

I saw blouses, scarves, a bow tie and suspenders, and even a plush zebra jumpsuit and formal man’s suit.

Is Your Team On Board?

Do your employees’ work habits support or detract from your business? Are they slated for strong performance in the future?

Be honest when you think about your answer to this. Leaders who ignore the impact of the detractors can find themselves in a downward spiral when the pressure is on.

Love in the Workplace

Did that title get your attention? I hope so, because love in the workplace is all about appreciation. Why not use the Valentine’s Day holiday to enhance your professional relationships?

Be generous in expressing appreciation to colleagues, team members, and clients, in fact, anyone you value. This can be as simple as “thank you”.

Playing Detective

There are times that leaders don’t pay enough attention about whether their people are working on assignments that are over their heads.

Understand that when asked if they need help, they’ll probably say no. They don’t want to appear to be less knowledgeable than they are in reality.

Energy Management

It’s already the end of January, and if you’re like many people, you’ve been striving to hit and maintain a better stride. Achieving professionals are always trying to go up a notch, and January is the month when it’s most noticeable.

To keep your momentum going, scope out the year and see what you can do to gradually keep your momentum going each month. The key is “gradual”, so think marathon, not sprint.