If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard this dozens of times in the past few weeks, “I can’t wait until this year is over.” It’s not surprising given our current environment.
What with the severely contagious Omicron variant crushing massive swaths of the population or rushing to complete year-end deadlines or worrying about inflation, challenges like these have accumulated quickly and definitively.
Many people take a deep breath at the beginning of December. The realization that there’s only one month left in the year comes as a shock, no matter how many times you’ve gone through it!
The people who succeed are those who manage their priorities effectively. Not all priorities are equal! On the other end of the spectrum are people who are unrealistic about what can actually be completed in the remaining available time.
In today’s quasi-post-pandemic environment, certain skills have become more important for successful performance on the job. Leaders need to encourage these in their employees, and to provide support if they are undeveloped.
We’ll be looking at three skills over the next few weeks, beginning today with flexibility. This competency takes on renewed significance if you are migrating towards a hybrid work structure, that is, working in the office for 2-3 days/week and work remotely for the balance.
Without question, improving communication is a perennial workplace challenge. Although communication has always been an issue, it is amplified in this quasi-post-pandemic environment when you consider video meetings, adapting to new technology, managing priorities with limited information, and constant fatigue about the uncertainty ahead.
Layer on the fact that people’s attention span has diminished substantially, what with multitasking, email and text overload, and anxiety over not having enough time.
Beginning in 2015, LeanIn.org and McKinsey have conducted annual comprehensive studies of women in the corporate workplace. The most recent report was just released and focused on the impact of the pandemic, issues of diversity and inclusion, and the overall state of work.
This column focuses specifically on their findings related to burnout, which has been continuing as a consequence of the pandemic.
I’ve been part of several conversations recently where trust issues have surfaced. Some have been positive, reflecting leaders who understand and embrace the benefits of a high trust culture. And others have swung to the other side of the spectrum where lack of trust is creating cracks in the organization.
Why is trust so important?
Do you ever feel like a crazy lunatic as you try to accomplish way too many things at once? Of course, you have! Not only do you experience this, but everyone has a different “lunatic pace.” Your threshold may have more or less elasticity than someone you work with closely.
I’ve found that people pick up their pace when they are working with someone who zooms through the day, even though it may be hard to keep up. These are critical moments, because when you constantly try to pace yourself at what is an unnaturally rapid clip for you, you will inevitably miss things.
Continuing our theme of employee engagement, consider the correlation between engagement and appreciation. People want to be appreciated and acknowledged for a job well done. It isn’t a big leap to understand that when people are praised for their efforts, they are motivated to do more.
Leaders who feel that recognition merits only occasional effort miss the opportunity to enhance the employee experience. Make sure that you express appreciation in a sincere and well-meaning manner. Employees know immediately when someone is “scamming” them.
Why is employee engagement so important? Obviously, there are myriad answers, but at the core, the more engaged your employees are the better they will do their jobs. Better job performance results in fewer mistakes, which ultimately leads to more satisfied clients.
You know what absenteeism is, but are you familiar with presenteeism? This happens when employees show up at work and simply go through the motions of their jobs. They do the minimum amount of work without calling attention to their declining effectiveness and productivity.
I received an exceptional email from a founding partner of a national window covering company. He thanked me for my interest in their company and reinforced their commitment to the “health, happiness and safety of our team and our customers.”
So far, so good.
He then said, “You’re in great hands with your Design Consultant, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to make your experience with us more enjoyable.”