Right now, more than ever, your team needs your leadership.
Though businesses have been thrust into a “new normal”, the experience – for both employees and companies – is not normal. The operational changes your organization may be facing could be temporary, or they could be permanent. Either way, the current global situation is transitional.
To truly earn the title of leadership, you must rally your team, adjust how you run the business, and communicate with your customers. You’ll also want to arm your team with the knowledge and information they need to assist, but recognize that they’re in transition, too, and need your support and encouragement to bolster morale.
What’s a leader to do? If your team doesn’t find your actions helpful, you aren’t helping. It’s that simple.
According to Thrive Global study, over 80% of employees reported that they wished their employer were more actively helping them when it comes to resiliency and feeling empowered during this time.
As things are feeling incredibly unpredictable, supporting your team in systematic ways can foster a sense of stability, which in turns helps to keep them engaged, boost productivity, and propel them through this transition.
Though as a leader, you’re likely struggling, too, make an effort to keep in touch with your employees. Message them weekly to apprise them of key happenings, and be sure to link to a survey asking them what they thought about it – if they don’t find your messages helpful, you aren’t helping – it’s that simple.
Great leaders are those who recognize that feedback is a gift. The ability to adapt to what your employees need – and then provide it – will rally them and help project a unified message to your customers.
Tick-tock: With homes functioning as offices and serving up constant distractions, time management becomes crucial
Choosing the right tone in your communications is critical, especially now. It’s easy to misinterpret messages and messaging; after all, many who are talented speakers may not necessarily be effective written communicators.
Look for ways to upskill your team on communicating effectively through all channels within the market, and your customers.
Driving sales in the current environment requires the smart utilization of digital tools for communication. But not only that – it also requires smarter time management.
People working from home have many duties and distractions right now. As a leader, it’s your job to help your team find ways to manage their time effectively while being sensitive to the challenges they’re facing, because those challenges are the same ones your customers are facing with their own time and business management.
Since coronavirus cases began appearing in the United States, on average, 70% employees report already feeling less productive. Supporting your employees with effective time and meeting management has never been more important than it is now.
80% of respondents feel helpless: Learn about the available tools to empower employees
One of the most striking findings within the Thrive Global 2020 report is that 80% of respondents feel helpless and like things are out of their control — underscoring the need for tools that empower them to take action.
New operations management tools can provide better performance insights, giving real-time feedback to help you and your team adjust your approach to communications, productivity, and customer engagement.
Encourage your sales teams to use the tools in place for lead and opportunity visibility so that you and your extended leadership team can support them accordingly.
Take advantage of easy-to-deploy training tools to engage, upskill, and observe your teams’ progress with their customers. Off-the-shelf sales and service upskilling offers will enable you to deploy programs within a few days, and quickly bring your teams’ knowledge to a level where they can feel confident in taking on the challenges that new remote working conditions have created.
A Harvard Business Review Analytic Services survey of business leaders indicated that 71% ranked employee engagement as very important to achieving overall organizational success, yet only 24% indicated that their employees were highly engaged.
Taking advantage of employee engagement and upskilling will not only positively influence overall performance, but will also set your employees up for success as you bridge the gap together.
