Time to bench corporate hierarchy
What was the best part about being in the office full time? Was it the office snacks everyone took turns bringing in? The water cooler chats? Celebrating successes together by going out for a team lunch? At the core, we have all been missing connecting in authentic ways. Having a video chat is great, but it is missing the human element.
As a leader, you're faced with an even greater challenge of keeping employee engagement up in a virtual environment. With all your efforts to check-in, ask how your people are doing, and reminding them to take walking breaks, there's still that element of physical engagement missing that tells the whole story of how your people are managing.
In Gallup's Wellbeing-Engagement Paradox, it is proven that there's a direct link between the decrease in engagement of employees and stress levels. Over time, if this is not addressed, employees will hit a breaking point of burnout. As a leader, monitoring your people's stress levels, wellbeing, and burnout has become significantly more challenging. Where before you could read physical cues and observe behaviours, you are now leaning more on the honesty of your employees when it comes to their wellbeing. And let's be honest, you're their superior, and they don't want to lose face.
Your responsibility is similar to that of a sports team coach. You may not be out on the playing field, but you have a full view to observe how your players are doing. You already have a strategy that amplifies each player's unique strengths and can notice when there's a change in their game. When you notice an inconsistency in one of your player's performances, the first thing you do is provide all the support resources necessary to get them back and ready to play and support the rest of the team during their recovery. Although you're not playing, you may as well be by how integrated you are in each play and thinking ten steps ahead to ensure a win without stepping one foot on the field.
This same approach can be taken within your team dynamic; be an extension of the team standing on the sidelines, ready to support. By breaking down the hierarchy and being on the same level as your team, you will be better prepared with the resources to prevent burnout and increase engagement.
It's a team game: When faced with a stressful situation, your employees shouldn't have to shoulder the pressure single-handedly when others cannot appreciate and understand the challenge. Monitor workloads and stress levels and have plans for how the team can work together to share the load.
Coach in the moment: The reason why a challenge is stressful is that the solution isn't always obvious. Instead of handing a solution over or making the challenge go away, engage in a coaching discussion to assess the situation and ideate different solutions. Remember, your job is to ask questions to expand perspective and hold the employee accountable for their actions.
The best defence is a good offence: Observe how your team is performing and what is currently on their plates and keep open communication on capacity limits. Create an environment where people can push back and feel comfortable saying they are tapped out.
By benching the corporate hierarchy that we all once knew, you create a healthier environment for your people to thrive. But, when there is no support system in place, no developmental opportunities, and a never-ending demand from the top, what's keeping your employees engaged? As we know, right now is a job-seeker's market, and there are plenty of employers to choose from. This means, as leaders, you have no choice but to be exceptional at nurturing your team and celebrate together when that buzzer at the end of each day goes off.
Looking for support with your leadership strategy? Send me an email at tony.yu@sensenous.ca