Leadership During the Recovery
Jennifer has been featured in the American Management Association’s Quarterly business journal where she writes about leadership during the recovery.
The recovery refers to the time we find ourselves in now, and that we expect to last for the next one to two years. We’re no longer in the emergency phase of the pandemic, but we’re certainly not “back to normal”. It’s time to evaluate the measures that we put in place in March 2020 to see if they still make sense going forward, and to analyze why some leaders weathered the storm better than others.
Jennifer argues that the answer to this question most often lies in the psychological fitness of those leaders, and she outlines the keys to sustainably lead teams now and in the aftermath of the pandemic. You can read through Jennifer’s article for an in-depth explanation of the keys of sustainable and empathetic leadership:
Modeling the Behaviour
Understanding the Difference between Hygiene and Motivation
Make it Safe for Hard Conversations
Listen and Take Action
Prioritize Psychological Safety and Physical Safety Equally
The new future of work is here, and if leaders lack empathy and emotional flexibility, it will be easy to fall back into old patterns that don’t solve new problems and keep organizations and teams from flourishing.
Leadership During the Recovery
Transitioning from Emergency to Recovery
Jennifer has been featured in the American Management Association’s Quarterly business journal where she writes about leadership during the recovery. In this unprecedented context, teams and leaders alike were dealing with exhaustion and high levels of uncertainty that made working life exceedingly challenging. Without a roadmap, mistakes and errors in judgement are understandable. However, moving into recovery and armed with the experiences and knowledge accumulated over the course of the pandemic, it is important to establish best practices for workplace management.
The recovery refers to the time we find ourselves in now, and that we expect to last for the next one to two years. We’re no longer in the emergency phase of the pandemic, but we’re certainly not “back to normal”. It’s time to evaluate the measures that we put in place in March 2020 to see if they still make sense going forward, and to analyze why some leaders weathered the storm better than others.
Accepting the New Normal
Jennifer argues that the answer to this question most often lies in the psychological fitness of those leaders, and she outlines the keys to sustainably lead teams now and in the aftermath of the pandemic. The initial shock of the health crisis is now behind us, so while the pandemic-related circumstances still present challenges, they are no longer surprising. As such, leaders must accept and adapt to this new normal. Below are some of the key takeaways. You can read through Jennifer’s article for an in-depth explanation of the keys of sustainable and empathetic leadership.
Modeling the Behaviour
If leaders want their employees to engage in behaviours that improve their wellbeing, they must model this themselves. By leading with compassion and empathy, as well as staying attuned to their own needs and taking the time for self-care, leaders signal to their teams that it’s okay for them to prioritize their mental health.
Understanding the Difference between Hygiene and Motivation
Typically, “hygiene” refers to basic care and maintenance tasks such as brushing your teeth and showering. These tasks must be performed regularly to uphold physical health and wellness. The term “hygiene” is also transferable into a workplace context as, similarly to an individual, if certain activities fall to the wayside, the detrimental effects will become apparent immediately.
At work, “hygiene” needs encompass activities such as salary, work conditions, company policies, supervision, relationships, security, and safety. These are the essential needs that a company must consistently meet for its employees and, generally, are industry standards. If any are neglected, this is highly detrimental to the employee experience. In addition to hygiene factors, which are a baseline of standards for the workplace, there are also motivation factors. These include recognition of achievements, meaningfully challenging work, a role in decision making, responsibility, and feeling important to the organization. Without these elements, work is not rewarding, and employees can burn out quickly.
Make it Safe for Hard Conversations
During the health crisis, many people faced losses and resultantly had to deal with grief. Grief causes “brain fog”, making workers more anxious and withdrawn. This is highly demotivating and can result in productivity issues. It is possible for managers to misinterpret these signs as performance issues, but they indicate a need for mental health support. Unfortunately, most people do not feel comfortable being open about their struggles in a professional context. Jennifer’s research, published in the Harvard Business Review, indicates that nearly half of those surveyed do not feel that they can speak openly about their mental health at work. Resultantly, 65% reported feeling burnt out “often or always”.
To shift the culture at their workplace and normalize conversations around mental health, leaders should focus on asking the right questions. Instead of a “how are you doing?”, a casual question which people often do not answer candidly, try looking deeper. If asked “you said you are fine, but I want to make sure; is there any way I could support you?” an employee may feel more comfortable being honest about their needs.
Prioritize Psychological Safety and Physical Safety Equally
At the beginning of the pandemic, employees reported missing social interactions and feeling isolated having to work from home. However, employees can be just as productive, if not more productive, working at home. Some may find that working remotely or in a hybrid model is better for their mental health than how they worked pre-pandemic. Taking these lessons and listening to employees’ needs while keeping options flexible empowers workers to make decisions to uphold their wellbeing and prevent burnout.
Next Steps
The new future of work is here, and if leaders lack empathy and emotional flexibility, it will be easy to fall back into old patterns that don’t solve new problems and keep organizations and teams from flourishing.
For more information on how we can help organizations during the recovery, contact Jennifer Moss – we’re here to help.