The year 2020, disrupted almost everything around us – the way we lived, interacted, worked, and traveled. It created a unique ‘new normal’ where water cooler conversations and coffee breaks got replaced with Zoom or Teams meetings. This radically different business landscape forced leaders to think in a different way and focus more on how they can help their employees thrive during these unprecedented times. Organizations started transitioning from being financial enterprises to social enterprises, focusing on employee wellbeing, growth, care for the family, and support to survive the complex wave of disruption.

How can you manage through disruptions? A reputed and reliable human resource consulting firm can become your greatest ally. Let us elaborate on how you can lead during these difficult times –

Lead with empathy
An employee-centric culture and mode of communication are imperative during these times. When you lead with humanity and compassion, it creates an environment where everyone feels cared for. Conversations should not only be about performance and business goals, but also about individual challenges, mental well-being, and personal development. Your team members are anxious and stressed, you need to become their friend and help them ease out by leading with empathy.

Remove biases and enhance inclusivity
Even in the best organizations, there are biases when it comes to performance evaluations or exchanging feedback. These challenges can get aggravated with the new models of working and led to reduced employee morale and productivity. As leaders, you need to strive to remove all sorts of biases – based on personality, confirmation, or even affinity. Replace biases with collaborative efforts, seek diverse ideas, and thus promote inclusivity within the organization.

Promote belongingness
It is crucial that your employees feel safe and have a feeling of belongingness for their workplace. It might be difficult to cultivate that with the remote model of work, but it is not impossible. Instead of physical lunch outings, you can have virtual ones. There can be celebrations around achievements in personal and professional lives. You can think about workout sessions, fun sessions, quizzes, and games to engage employees and cultivate a sense of belongingness.

Hear the voices
Communication cannot be a one-way process. When you share feedback about performance you should also ask about your employee’s needs and perspectives. The employee pulse surveys should not be done just for compliance but for improving processes and culture within the organization. As managers and leaders, solicit feedback from employees and then implement them into reality.

Gratitude is the best attitude
Your employees do not work just for the paycheck. Though that might be the tangible end product, they also look for appreciation and gratitude. A ‘Thank you note on LinkedIn, or the company website can work wonders to motivate your fellow colleagues and employees. Today’s workforce needs appreciation now more than ever, for helping you run your business amidst these disruptions. Say ‘thank you often and make it a practice within the organization.
Disruptions are difficult but if you have the best human capital consultancy services with you, then you can become resilient and future-ready to manage difficult times successfully. At The Taplow Group we not only help you source the best fit for your organization’s leadership through our executive search consultants but also train and develop them to hone their skills. To know more about our human capital services like leadership coaching, professional hiring, management consulting, reach out to us at www.taplowgroup.com