Make Sure to Take Care of Your People

BY: DAN AHEARN on MAY 8, 2020

As a leader in your organization, it is your obligation to take care of your employees. During the Covid-19 crisis, employees are facing unprecedented challenges. It is up to you to relieve unnecessary burdens that are overloading your workforce. What steps can you take to ensure the welfare, safety, and peace of mind of the people in your organization? People are looking to their managers and leaders for help and support.

Express your appreciation of the importance and value of the individuals that work for you. Think of what you can do to help your employees with the difficult life situations they face. Establish employee support and development programs that are best suited for your organization. Some organizations may provide financial or material rewards to their people. Others deliver authentic acts of appreciation and concern from leaders. Determine which methods can have the greatest impact in the lives of everyone in your organization.

Consider applying the following concepts in your organization in a commitment to supporting your organization.

LEADERSHIP THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

Employees want trust and authenticity from their leaders. They want to develop meaningful relationships with their leaders and co-workers. Promote an environment where your employees can cultivate relationships that espouse those beliefs. A Harvard Business Review article states that “Your job as a leader is to create the conditions for your people to fully realize their own capacity and power.” You can do this by cultivating an organizational climate of trust.

Understand those in your organization and their physical, emotional, financial and psychological needs. Individuals may be struggling even if they aren’t showing outward signs of stress. The relationships you develop with your staff helps you see what is happening in their world. Check in to see what they need or what worries them. A sincere conversation is very meaningful to someone struggling in stressful times.

Cultivate authentic relationships with your staff and work teams. Take the time to appreciate and what motivates those that work for your organization. Perceive what is happening in their lives and how that affects their work. Develop an understanding of individuals, personally and professionally. Value what they want and what drives them, what really matters to them. Determine if someone is motivated by extrinsic or intrinsic rewards. Is a cash reward more important than increased trust and responsibility. Take the time to ask about someone’s professional goals. Determine how you can help them grow within their role. It takes work to develop these relationships, but that work is well worth the effort.

LEADERSHIP THROUGH COMMUNICATION

Strive to be a sincere and effective communicator. Understand that information is best received when delivered in a timely and succinct manner. Communicate the purpose and your vision for your organization. Ensure that employees can clearly and concisely deliver that message to others. Be visible to the entire organization. Be authentic. Don’t portray yourself as something you are not. Individuals are perceptive and realize when you are insincere.

Offer workers the autonomy and support necessary to do their jobs. Provide opportunities for development and growth within the organization. Good communication is essential to this process. Your team must know the anticipated goal, what is expected of them, and what support they will have. Hire good people, train and develop them, then get out of their way and let them do their job. Challenge everyone to develop into more effective employees. Great leaders help develop leaders within their organization. Learn the art of delegation to help people develop and the organization prosper.

Communicate difficult information in a clear manner, especially in hard times. A recent research briefing from The Oxford Review introduces ways for leaders to have difficult conversations in the workplace. (Levine, E. E., Roberts, A. R., & Cohen, T. R. [2020]. Difficult Conversations: Navigating the Tension between Honesty and Benevolence. Current opinion in psychology. - Awaiting publication. Research Briefing. The Oxford Review. www.oxford-review.com)

Delivering_bad_news_the_art_of_difficult

Download • 248KB

A strong leader rises to challenges and commands respect by providing necessary support. Understand that errors will occur. Accept responsibility for mistakes, make adjustments and develop a plan to move forward. The key is to be honest and forthright. People will respect you more when you are honest with them, even when the truth is difficult to hear.

Deliver recognition for a job well done and provide support when someone fails. Help people learn from mistakes to improve their performance. Appreciate each individual’s work and their impact on the organization.

Be a strong decision maker and communicator throughout the decision-making process. Acquire the necessary information. Discuss, debate, decide on a course of action and then move forward with a plan of action. Spend the greatest amount time on decisions with the greatest potential impact. Be a decisive and confident leader who takes the time to make a well-informed decision.

Remember that communication is also shown through your actions, along with your words. People notice your actions and the decisions you make on a daily basis. Those actions are a powerful reflection of who you are as a leader. Ensure your actions correspond with your desired vision and convey your intended message.

IN CLOSING

Support your organization by first taking care of yourself mentally, physically and emotionally. Surround yourself with a trusted team of advisors to help navigate demanding circumstances. Appreciate everyone as an individual. Be authentic and honest with them. They will welcome that consideration. Provide clarity and certainty especially in difficult times. Take care of your organization in the short term while maintaining focus on your long-term goals. Trust and develop them as they are the future of your organization. Strive to be an effective communicator and provide support for all of your people through strong relationships.

For more information on how DA Advisory Services can provide customized strategies to increase your organization's effectiveness through a behavioral lens, please visit: https://www.daadvisoryservices.com/