One of the consequences of working remotely during the pandemic is that some of your management skills may have eroded. Although you may have picked up some new ones, some of your old standbys may have atrophied.
Spring is the time for renewal, so why not use this time to take inventory of your skills? Everyone is different, so here are some questions to start your thought process. Chances are that these ideas will generate others that are unique to you.
+ Have you changed how you give feedback to your team? Is it as effective as before, or are you “backing away” or being even harsher when you deliver any tough messages?
+ For those working remotely, have you lost all sense of your own boundaries? Are you sending emails to your staff after hours, for example, and expecting late night replies for non-urgent matters?
+ Further to the last point, has your ability to manage your time gone down the rabbit hole and you’ve lost your discipline around self-management?
+ How have your problem-solving skills changed? Do you take longer than you used to, again thinking that you can tackle these issues at night (or the middle of the night)?
+ It seems like everyone is weary. Has your patience slipped or are you losing your temper more frequently?
These five triggers are among the ones that I’ve seen frequently among clients, colleagues and friends, especially in recent months. Use this as a prompt to bring your self-awareness back into sharper vision so that you can self-edit and improve.
Taking inventory of your management skills will first help you become more aware of what you’re doing. Then you can adjust and work on those areas that may have slipped. When you refresh and improve your skills, you’ll feel better and your staff will appreciate your renewed efforts.
