Care, compassion and inclusive leadership
Over the past two years, we have banded together and demonstrated resilience, compassion and care in the face of unprecedented challenges. While individual circumstances differed, our shared experience provided a heightened awareness of the struggles facing others. This emphasised the need to check in regularly with colleagues, openly discuss challenges and extend the care shown to each other beyond the traditional scope of our professional roles.
Focus should remain on creating a culture of inclusion, belonging and care. Leaders should continue to provide the space and time to share and listen, encouraging others to do so too. These efforts will go a long way in terms of retaining and motivating teams as employees want to work somewhere that values their safety and wellbeing, and where they feel seen and heard.
Connection
We lost many of our natural connection points during the pandemic, including in-person meetings and socialising with colleagues. To compensate, teams made a concerted effort to improve engagement, communication and virtual connection through new and innovative ways. Video conferencing provided a literal (albeit virtual) window into our lives, blurring the lines between the personal and professional. In many cases, colleagues got to know and understand each other more than ever before.
As the opportunity to work and socialise face-to-face returns, leaders should not lose sight of the importance of actively fostering connectivity and communication within their teams. Nor should they assume that engagement will happen organically without deliberate effort. For those adopting hybrid working models, maintaining connections in an inclusive manner will become even more complex.
Wellbeing
While the blurring of the personal and professional, brought about by remote working, had its perks in terms of connecting with colleagues and encouraging greater empathy, it also made it difficult to establish boundaries between work and home life. In response, organisations placed an immediate and increased focus on employee wellbeing.
However, burnout remains a key issue. Leaders should continue to support mental and physical wellbeing and consider the impact of workload on their teams. Employees want to work in organisations that care for their people. Supporting employees' diverse circumstances and needs will help them both mentally and physically, increasing the likelihood that they will perform well in the long term.
Flexibility
It is often said that the pandemic accelerated workplace flexibility, but it could also be argued that there is nothing flexible about having no option but to work remotely. While some have enjoyed the benefits of remote working, many have missed the in-person experience of connecting with colleagues in the office. For others, it was not possible to work remotely due to the nature of their work.
Despite this 'forced flexibility', it proved that remote working is possible in many situations. The lessons learnt can be used to develop truly flexible working arrangements, but organisations that fail to offer hybrid work will struggle to attract and retain talent. As restrictions ease, it will be important for leaders to understand the different perspectives of their employees and offer tailored solutions. They will also need to mitigate the risk of remote work inequity that hybrid models may cause.
Vulnerability, trust and transparency
There was a degree of collective vulnerability in March 2020 as we were cast into the unknown. This was particularly true for leaders, who had to guide their teams without having many of the answers. While feeling vulnerable is not always comfortable, those who channelled it in the right way reaped rewards.
Sharing vulnerability is a powerful way to earn trust. Successful leaders did so and built on this further by reassuring employees that there was a clear plan in place amid significant global fear and uncertainty. It also meant giving teams and individuals the autonomy to solve problems and trusting employees to get the job done when no one was there to witness it.
Preserving this hard-earned trust through openness, transparency and vulnerability will be essential in building team resilience, accountability and highlighting areas for improvement in a post-pandemic world.
Use of technology
Technology has been frequently cited as a source of anxiety and concern for employees in recent years. In many organisations, however, it would be hard to deny that technology has been one of our greatest allies. Many were fortunate enough to be able to continue working remotely, but this would have been impossible without technology. It also proved that effective collaboration across teams, organisations, countries and time zones is possible.
Despite this, PwC's Future of Work and Skills Survey 2021 shows that digitisation continues to be a source of anxiety for workers. To ease these concerns, leaders must continue to discuss the impact and role of technology with their teams in an open and transparent manner.
Actions to help you maintain positive leadership momentum
Lead by example
Don't be afraid to show vulnerability and continue working on building and earning trust within your team. Take the time to reach out to colleagues, ask how they are doing and consider the challenges they may face in their personal lives – this goes for leaders and team members alike. Be consistent, ensuring that your actions match your words. In doing so, you will give colleagues the precedent and permission to follow suit.
Continue to focus on inclusivity and connection
Take a deliberate, proactive approach to communication and engagement, ensuring that all team members feel connected and that they belong. Ensure that any engagement activities cater to all relevant working arrangements, whether remote, office-based or hybrid.
Flex that flexibility muscle restriction-free
When it comes to developing flexible working arrangements, don't impose arbitrary, one-size-fits-all rules. Remember that COVID-19 has impacted people in very different ways. While some colleagues want more flexibility, others need it. Take time to understand the individual circumstances, needs and wants of your team members and try to satisfy these in an equitable, feasible way.
Don't stick to the status quo
Continue to question how you and your team get work done. Employees will no longer tolerate doing things a certain way "because that's how it has always been done". Keep engaging employees in decision-making to empower them. Spread responsibility and find timely solutions. In doing so, you may also discover hidden potential in your team members. Ensure that your systems and processes, such as performance management and reward, support the behaviours and culture you want to cultivate.
Remember that technology can be our ally
Encourage your teams to focus on the positives that technology can bring to our lives, including enabling the flexible working models of the future. Ensure transparency and collaboration when it comes to technology to help employees get comfortable with being part of the solution. Take a personalised approach to communications, catering to different skill levels, needs and preferences in your messaging. Adopt supportive policies and offer opportunities for upskilling to support team members' long-term employability.
We are here to help you
This is a pivotal moment for organisations with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic potentially in sight and the new world of work rapidly evolving. Those leaders who take the time to reflect and move forward with purpose will ensure that the aspects of great leadership demonstrated during the crisis are not lost. If you would find it helpful to have a conversation about any of the above, please get in touch with us today.
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