Small Steps to Set Your Team Up for Success in 2020 and Beyond
Whether you are new to leadership or you’ve been a leader for quite some time, you’ve likely learned a thing or two in 2020. If your company was fortunate enough to survive thus far, you’re considered fortunate. While many companies are reevaluating business models and attempting to plan for the what the future holds – one thing is for certain: the need for leadership won’t go away. Leading your teams through this year has been no small feat, but there’s always room for improvement as we enter the second half. Here’s small steps you can take today to set your team up for success the remainder of 2020 and beyond:
Evaluate Communication
With entire teams and even businesses adapting to working from home, you’ve likely already experienced a massive shift in day-to-day communication. With Zoom calls, texts, phone calls and emails – the notifications seem endless. Ask yourself what you can do to either organize your communication or enhance it. Maybe the lines of communication were great when the pandemic first started, as people were buzzing each other nonstop, but now it’s tapered off.
It’s up to you to ensure those lines of communication remain intact and you’re engaging your teams. It might mean signing up for a software/app such as Slack – that really helps to organize conversations and encourage connectivity. Or maybe you need to get back to your daily check-in calls you were once having. It could mean that you put a manager in charge for people to report to at the end of each day. Just ensure that your communication is standing strong since it is an essential part of an organization.
Encourage Productivity Hacks
Many companies are learning their employees can actually be extremely productive working from home. Even if they are dealing with having kids at home or a spouse who’s sharing a workspace, they are finding creative ways to get things done. If your teams are putting out consistent, quality work, check to ensure they are taking proper breaks. Encourage productivity hacks so they don’t get burnt out.
For example, try hosting a virtual happy hour at 4 pm where attendance is required (drinking is optional) and you can only discuss non-work matters. Or suggest a friendly competition of online gaming since according to a recent survey, 54 percent of participants admit to playing online games at work. In the same vein, if they aren’t taking their vacation days, set the example by taking one yourself and encourage everyone else do the same. Mental health is extremely important – not just during these times but always. You don’t want your teams to get burnt out.
Get Feedback
Feedback is important and it requires us to swallow our pride and truly listen to what others have to say. The good news is you’ve made it through a very challenging time, so the feedback from your teams can only help you when facing future challenges
Ask your teams to consider giving feedback either on the organization as a whole, how you’ve handled the pandemic, the current workflow process or anything they would like! Giving your teams the opportunity to use their voice is very important for employee retention and longevity of their tenure. You never know, it could even be praise or encouragement for a job well done!
Regardless of how this year has gone for you, now is the time to make changes to finish out the year strong. These small steps will make a big impact for where your organization is headed in 2020 and beyond.
