Managing a Workforce During the Time of Coronavirus - Josh Rosenthal, MINDSETTER™
Josh Rosenthal, MINDSETTER™
Managing a Workforce During the Time of Coronavirus - Josh Rosenthal, MINDSETTER™
We know from previous large-scale crises, such as the financial crisis of 2009 and 9/11, that employees experience trauma that can have profound negative impacts on productivity. The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic-- which packs an even larger punch of financial and health hardship and uncertainty-- combined with the difficulties of managing a workforce that is in most cases now operating remotely, poses an even greater set of challenges.
All the CEOs I have talked with in the past few weeks as part of my practice as a leadership consultant and executive coach are wrestling with how best to help their line managers and employees stay healthy and maintain high performance during this difficult time. Here are some tips for executives and managers that can better enable them to keep their teams and individual employees focused:
• Be available to your folks. During times of trauma, anxiety and heightened stress, it is essential to make yourself and your management team available to talk and communicate. With distributed teams in lock-down use video chat whenever possible. A friendly face is critical during times like these.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST• Communicate. Make sure there are consistent messages from all of management expressing real compassion, concern, and strength.
• Provide vehicles for support. Provide forums for facilitated discussion; encourage your folks to talk to one another and lend each other support. Make available easy access to news reports. If there are mental health professionals on staff, make them available during all shifts and in as many locations as possible.
• Listen. Real listening implies the willingness to help and understand. Let folks tell their own story. Recognize that they are not OK. Help them solve the immediate problems at hand.
• Know your limits... You are not a mental health professional, even though you might feel like one at times. If you can’t solve the immediate problem in a discussion or two, don’t hesitate to use the EAP programs or health centers available to you.
• Be patient. Recognize that ordinary tasks may take longer. It is likely that project teams may be more easily distracted.
• Model leadership behavior. Be compassionate yet focused. Clarify immediate and medium-term actions. Be aware that a sense of safety and well-being is now absent. Set clear expectations. Now more than ever, even your best performers will be unsure and will need genuine reassurance.
• Keep a positive focus. Help folks identify with their highest values and the highest values of the enterprise and their communities. Focus on community, contribution and success.
