It’s the unsaid and unspoken. We’re in an unprecedented situation with the shelter-in-places and working in pajamas is almost the new norm. We’re assaulted by a number of webinars and blogs that pontificate on how to work with a distributed work-force.
Given that we have had a few weeks to get our bearings on the work-from-home modalities, the bigger ask of the employees is how do you keep their morale high? How do you hit your KPIs?
Sure, there are scientific metrics on the increase in depression and anxiety – and how an employer can get its teammates’ mind and body ticking to peak performance. Here are a few tips..
Trust
This is critical. And this alone distinguishes a leader from an also-ran. Just trust your colleagues to deliver. A Time-oriented task , a marketing plan, a project road-map – believe and they will deliver.
Empower
Get your employees involved in decision-making. It’s easy to miss out people on a 20-people zoom or webex call. Or ask for people’s opinion – with a call-out. The old adage that you cannot shake hands with a screen are indeed true – but as a manager needs to cut through the milieu to do the next best thing. Call out. Praise. Give them a challenge..and make the employee be a part of the decision making stressing the importance of her/his input. Better still, allocate a project that they can complete on their own- making their own decisions.
Empathize
Tactical Empathy’ is the need of the hour. A work from home may be a new norm.
Let’s face it, family not withstanding – working from home is a lonely affair. And there might not always be an environment conducive to the mega-project that you have in mind. Be firm- but cut some slack. Sounds oxy-moronic – but that is what will fetch you results.
Dialogue – Collaborate
There’s a thin line between micro-managing and a 2-way dialogue. Walk that line. Involve them in a thought provoking engagement that makes them invested in the process. People contribute better in a collaborative environment. Team-meetings – with a set agenda and quick decision making, would energize and keep them upbeat.
Reward
We all need self-esteem – a sense of accomplishment leading to gratification. Make sure your colleagues still get the rewards they deserve. See that spike in productivity.
Chill & Connect
You can still kick it back with the team..have your Friday beers bashes through zoom and make it a free no-agenda meet. You’ll be surprised at your colleague’s interests, may get to know them a lot better…establish a deeper connect and rapport with them.
There is already a pall of impending doom within corporate America and we are seeing an adjustment of resources due to the domino effect of the business closures. Working in pajamas in your own comfort zone does lead to a drop in peak performance. But try mitigating with these tips and you will not flat-line the performance.
