Leadership Tips for Transitioning to Post-Pandemic Life
According to the American Psychological Association, >49% of adults feel uneasy about returning to in-person interactions once the pandemic is over.
And, vaccination status did not affect that either. >48% of those who have already been vaccinated say they, too, feel uncomfortable with in-person interactions.
With this hesitancy across the U.S, as a leader it is critical to assess how your teams and employees will respond to whatever you have planned for this post-pandemic workplace response.
AND, AS A LEADER, HOW YOU MANAGE THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WILL DETERMINE THE CULTURE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION MOVING FORWARD.
So, it is essential that you equip yourself on how to rise to this unique occasion & lead in the highest capacity as possible.
HERE ARE MY TOP FIVE MOST EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP TIPS THAT I AM COACHING MY CLIENTS ON RIGHT NOW:
1. Effective leaders are aware that times have changed, and with this change employees expectations have evolved too. High quality leadership is about tapping into employees needs while still balancing the mission & impact of the organization that you are leading. As an effective leader right now, having a deep understanding of what your teams and employees are experiencing, both personally and professionally, is key to making changes. Effective leaders are aware that there is no going backwards, only forwards.
2. Effective leaders build and instill trust amongst their teams. Effective leaders provide enough training and mentorship to their employees without micromanaging their colleagues. Specific expectations of their teams are outlined clearly so that all employees feel empowered to move forward with their tasks. Effective leaders care less about workplace optics & image and focus more on results and impact from their employees.
3. Effective leaders are great at asking clarifying questions, and do more active listening. Below are 3 questions to ask your teams to learn more about their experiences. Keep in mind, if you do not anticipate making any shifts or changes with the answers from these questions, it is better of you do not ask them to begin with. Nothing frustrates an employee more than expressing his/her concerns, but no changes are implemented from their feedback.
a. What worked for you during the pandemic?
b. What did not work well during the pandemic?
c. What can I do to support you achieve the success you are looking for?
4. Effective leaders stay in their own lane, focus on their expertise & strengths, communicate their boundaries, and they have a deep understanding of what their role is on the team. There is zero expectation for one leader to know all-of-the-things, be on all of the calls, and be engaged at every single meeting; this is a ticket to burnout. This is why is it critical to build a team that you trust and can depend on. Your goal is to empower your teams so that collectively you can achieve success.
5. Effective leaders make decisions despite 110% certainty. Let’s face it: being a leader requires you to step up to the plate & be confident in the decisions you are making. However, humanizing the leadership experience is important in building influence in your team too. Even with the best of intentions, sometimes leaders make mistakes, & owning up to your mistake is a key to building rapport with your team.
Most importantly, if you engage your teams, you have to be willing to be nimble and adjust your expectations from their responses.
Just because you did something pre-pandemic life or just because something worked for you in 2019 or 2020, does not equate to everything working for your team in today’s climate.
MOVING INTO THIS POST-PANDEMIC LIFE, YOUR #1 FOCUS SHOULD BE ON BUILDING TRUST AND RAPPORT WITH YOUR TEAMS. SEE HOW IT SHAKES OUT IN Q3/Q4. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED.
If you need support or specific tools on how to move forward in this post-pandemic life, please reach out to me for coaching.
You are not alone in navigating this new territory.
I am here to support you.
Xx
Ashlee
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