Few things in life are controllable, one of which is not your health. There is little or no way to predict the effect of certain decisions we make especially to our health in both the short and long term. This is the same for the Coronavirus. It came as a surprise and its spread is so fast that it shocking the world. Many organizations are already on lock down with their staff moving to work remotely from their house. While such a decision would have been frowned upon on a normal day, it is understandable for such a time as this.
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There is much information online on how to stay healthy and how to be productive from home. Today, I will be sharing with you how to manage your team during this pandemic. The position of a leader is not an easy one, it requires a lot of empathy, understanding, assertiveness and the ability to sell the vision of the group to the followers while allowing them to interpret it and eventually find their roles in it. So while it is easier to ensure that everything is in order in a physical space, there is little control the digital space can afford to influence productivity of the team as a unit. Here are helpful tips to help you manage your team as they work from home:
Set clear goals and expectation
Set a clear goal and expectation for each team member. Communicate what is considered the best or good enough using enough examples or sharing images or videos. You can also find the right workflow management system for your team.
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
While you can no longer drop by your staff’s office to check on their work, drop by on the productivity app you’re using and send an encouraging note. Use as many channels as possible and whichever medium is possible. This could be email, phone call, social media channels, slack, zoom, dropbox, miro etc.
Trust your team
Don’t give in to fear or panic, relax and trust that your team will handle it well. If they don’t, try another method. Something will always work.
Use Productivity Tools or Apps
Get reliable productivity tools or apps. Provide your team with as much productivity apps that are possible to make the teamwork seamless.
Track productivity
Every week have a reflection session that discusses the progress so far, the problems encountered and the way forward.
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Demonstrate interest in them
Apart from their job title and description, what do you know about them? Do you know if any of them have a sick relative or have a family member they are concerned about because of the increased risk? Now is the time to forge that relationship. People who feel like you are interested in you are more loyal to you and would go the extra mile.
Please Pay Salaries
Lastly, if you can pay them in full or part to have enough to stock up their homes during this period will help deal with employee anxiety and help motivate action.
People may forget what you say but they will never forget how you made them feel. What you make of this period for your team is dependent on you, you can make it a way to pull your team closer like a family or otherwise.
Consider this word by Mark Caine:
“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.”
– Mark Caine
Featured Image Source: Healthy Black Woman
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