A small (interim) balance sheet...
Many people are sick of hearing about it and are tired of working from home. Nevertheless, the current and expected situation requires both managers and employees to think about what has been going well so far and what needs to change.
Expert panel at Clubhouse - LOOKBACKS, IMPRESSIONS, IN and OUTLOOKS
In addition to numerous discussions, training and coaching sessions for our customers, we were also able to host a talk on this topic on Clubhouse and discuss it with the following experts:
Eva Planötscher-Stroh
HR Manager Vereinigte Bühnen Wien GmbH
To the website "
Mario Kwas
Co-Founder at the Institute for Intrapreneurship
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Elmar Rodler
Managing Director at LSZ Consulting
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Wolfgang Kowatsch
Managing Partner at myAbility
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One thing should be said in advance: Depending on the company and industry, everyone has been and is naturally confronted with very specific challenges and a solution that works well here cannot always be used there. Some things are often easy to say...
We would like to mention a second aspect here in advance: Leadership always has to do with relationships. The better the quality of the relationship between manager and employee, the more resilient they are. And there is no question that the current situation is a massive burden for many of us. This means that all those who already attached importance to having a good relationship with their employees in the pre-corona period (not to be confused with a purely friendly relationship) have a clear advantage!
Expert tip 1:
TRUST & RELATIONSHIP as a prerequisite and basis
Regardless of how well the teamwork has gone in the past, it is currently important to "reach" your own employees. It is best to take some time for socializing in video calls with the team at the beginning. This is where you need to consciously address possible fears or pick up on them. Only topics that are on the table can be clarified!
A second key step in this context is sharing and asking about private matters. If the manager is approachable and open here, this builds trust and makes it easier for employees to open up themselves. Managers are also allowed to say when they are having a tough day. This makes it easier to overcome challenges together.
Another helpful tip for a good relationship is to share information: It is better to provide information about irrelevant matters once too often than once too little; otherwise the result will quickly be the hottest rumors and speculation and, at the end of the day, fear and uncertainty!
Expert tip 2:
STRUCTURE provides security
Social gatherings are currently suffering at every turn. This makes those moments when this is possible all the more important - even if it's only via video. Until recently, how often did you have the opportunity to have a quick chat with a colleague in the corridor or to have a quick coffee with a colleague and catch up?
In his short history of mankind, historian Yuval Harari states that humans differ from other species through gossip - this was ultimately the secret of their success in spreading across the globe.
And what does this mean for current practice? Even if it's not as spontaneous as usual - simply start a meeting earlier, schedule more breaks and stay online during them or simply schedule a longer meeting that is primarily just about chatting and exchanging ideas. Ideally with regularity - especially in the current situation, clarity and structure give employees security!
Expert tip 3:
MOTIVATION via (common) goals
The difference between a group and a team is, among other things, a common goal. Managers are currently well advised to define goals for themselves and their team or individual employees. If goals are defined in an achievable and appealing way, they always trigger a high level of motivation.
The more the team is brought on board when defining the goals, the greater the identification and commitment to achieving these goals will be!
And don't forget: Celebrate achieved goals sufficiently (even if only virtually)!
Expert tip 4:
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
As the saying goes: after the rain comes the sun. And so that it can then really shine, it makes sense to start thinking about how things should continue when the sun is shining.
The last few months have probably shown, taught and demanded a lot from all of us. The exciting thing here is to use the situation as an opportunity and take a close look at the future of the team: What will we take away from this time? What have I learned as a manager? What do we miss most and what would we like to do without in the future?
A second tip for further development: live an ACTIVE feedback culture! And it's best to start with positive things. Actively give others feedback on what was particularly good and why - then they can do more of it in the future or consciously repeat it. And as a manager, actively ask what you are currently doing well and what you could perhaps do even better. This is how development takes place together and at a high level! (And if feedback annoys you, it's best to stay relaxed: What Peter says about Paul often says more about Peter than about Paul... )