Leaders are faced with demands from multiple angles as they care for, rally and enable their teams in this new environment during COVID-19. As leaders, it’s about flexing so you can meet the realities of today’s crisis by focusing on operational needs, sensing the compassion and empathy needed to meet people where they are, and finding hope through possibility and opportunity.
I’m amazed at the sheer resilience, care, and optimism of the leaders with whom I’m working. Together with their firms, these individuals are stepping up to make the world healthier, providing compassion by showing up with humanity first and continuing to serve their clients in their greatest hour of need. Organizations such as Maryland Food Bank, which is still doing the work of feeding the hungry, is finding ways to mobilize volunteers side by side with their employees.
While there’s suffering, there’s also gratitude and possibility. How are you galvanizing your leadership for others today? Share your ideas and needs with us and we’ll help! In the meantime, we want to highlight some best practices from client organizations and others, as well as supportive resources.
Best Practices:
- Weekly town halls with leadership and associates to keep everyone in touch, attuned to areas of focus, and abreast of changes and programs.
- Scheduling a weekly check-in that includes stories and ideas about how people are succeeding in this new environment. Some are calling it “Monday Morning Boost, or Ideas and Opportunities.”
- Engaging people in dialog about what’s working in their new at home world and where they can experiment with new ways of operating – whether it’s on a small scale, such as remote options, to new ways of gathering, to re-envisioning products and ways of helping clients.
- Engaging people in how to help society, whether in health, finance, or other areas.
- Sharing our own and others’ practices for self-care and taking advantage of the time to get outside and move – versus staying inside on the computer.
- Creating buddies on your team with whom to check in, thereby forging new bonds and allowing the system to foster the creation of care – and not just the leader.
- Assembling groups of parents to share strategies for how to work from home with kids while school is out.
- Sharing tips on making room for connecting with family and friends while social distancing.
- Getting creative! My daughter’s 22nd birthday was earlier this week and we had a Zoom party. It was great. She and her friends celebrated on camera until 2 AM!
In addition, firms are making incredible donations of resources, money, and medicine to help society, while universities are connecting with students virtually and helping them find levity in this situation. They’re doing so by inviting songs for this time period and postings on social media with a favorite person or pet, etc.
Additional on-line resources:
Leadership
Managing anxiety and worry
https://thriveglobal.com/categories/first-responders-first/ [thriveglobal.com] (Be sure to scroll down.)
https://hbr.org/2020/03/why-leaders-need-meditation-now-more-than-ever
Daily meditations at ten percent happier: https://www.tenpercent.com
Book: “A Year in Nature: Memoir of Solace” by Clare Walker Leslie
For Well-Being
https://onbeing.org/blog/a-listening-care-package-for-uncertain-times/
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/greater_good_guide_to_well_being_during_coronavirus