How are you feeling about post lockdown? Our surveys are suggesting Leaders are a little fearful.
How are you feeling about post lockdown? Our surveys are suggesting Leaders are a little fearful. Are you someone dreading having to go back to the office? We have found that many leaders today are expressing a little fear about what may be next. My photo of heading to Patrol is because I feel fear every time I go on patrol, fear of what may be next.
One of the benefits of lockdown has been a forced time to review processes, practices and set up future strategies for success. As Founder of The Mentor Evolution, I have never known a time like this, in our 23 years of operation. I know as a leader, that it is important to demonstrate vision & a way forward to my team. Fear is often a great signal to prepare you and alert you to potential risks. As leaders, we need to embrace uncertainty and work with our advisors & mentors to acknowledge these fears and strategise a way forward.
Many employees are not delighted about wasting hours commuting and are uncertain of how businesses will operate post lockdown. People who get energised through their own time, especially introverts, are actually dreading being forced to work back in an office.
The way we were working needs review. No doubt manufacturing, hospitality and production organisations will require staffing but no longer daily offices will be filled to the brim with staff. Workplaces will become places for powerful connection, powerhouse strategy sessions, brainstorming and planning. Recent mergers and acquisitions are evidence that air travel is not critical for effective due diligence.
PWC, a global consultancy recently announced that all of its 40,000 US client services employees can work virtually and live anywhere in the world in perpetuity and are only required to meet at the office a maximum of 3 days a month.
As leaders navigating these unpredictable times, we do have hope from history that the post-period to a pandemic will be buoyant and optimistic. People will thrive, better inventions and processes will flow from a period of still. Einstein once said that there is no room for creativity in a busy mind.
Exciting times! We will need to be innovative in engaging employees via online supports, peer mentoring for intergenerational learning and embracing new technologies to do this. Companies really need to understand what motivates an employee, aside from financial rewards, such as inspirational leadership: role challenges and titles; new learnings & company support to help employees achieve personal goals and keep motivated. Systems for real-time dashboards for project management reporting will be critical for every function. It is going to be a scary but amazing period ahead!