Hi friends! Welcome back!
Last I wrote, I wanted to encourage you as you lead remotely. I received some interesting comments on Social Media and some very thoughtful texts from some of you. I am not the best writer and do not often have super insightful things to say – but – I believe in you. You CAN do this!
Today I want to expand my list of employee / team expectations. If you recall from last time, I listed a few common expectations people have when it comes to work. They expect:
- a place for them to do their work – a me space
- a place for them to interact professionally with others – a we space
- a place for private conversations perhaps with a boss or a coworker or a customer
- an expert, or experts, who probably can answer many questions that will be asked
- a place to stretch your legs, have a snack, drink coffee or tea, and take a break
- regular “team building” type of activities
These are all true. I’m sure you can come up with your own list as well. Today, I’d like to add a couple more things that are commonly expected:
- an expert, or experts, who probably can answer many questions that will be asked. (Yes, I briefly discussed this last time, but wanted to expand today).
- an opportunity to enter the work mindset and also shift out of work mode and back into their regular life at the end of the day
- to feel safe, wanted, and know they are making a difference
Let’s jump right in.
Every team has tribal knowledge that lets them be successful. Sometimes that is one or more senior experts. Other times, it is just the general “book of business” that lets successful teams perform their best. Even in a remote situation, you can provide this with simple collaboration documents or better yet, consider using an FAQ bot that can escalate to live expert interaction for when the FAQ does not directly provide an answer.
Wellbeing – especially in this time – is critically important both for you and your team. Lead the way and encourage your team to set proper boundaries. Perhaps having a “virtual commute” time each morning blocked on calendars to review MyAnalytics and encourage Focus Time. Maybe offer a virtual yoga class to help with mindfulness before the busy day. Encourage your team to manage notifications so they can disconnect after work. Your team is not just made up of coworkers. They are people too. With lives and families and – more than likely – are your friends at some level too. A great leader will encourage them to put as much energy and effort into their non-work time as they do their work time.
Lastly, here is an area where you can really shine and lead well: show your Team that you need them by engaging them well. Tell your team they are doing a good job. Incorporate the Praise App for team kudos so everyone can both share and feel the love from their coworkers. The best teams perform when they know their coworkers, and their leaders, have their backs. Another creative way to show love to your team is to send them some Starbucks – directly from Microsoft Teams. How cool is that? A tasty beverage makes everyone happy. Happy employees are engaged employees and before you know it, you are performing at higher levels – even when everyone is working from home. Soon you will realize that – with your leadership coupled with a little creatively and smooth technology – you have become the tribe you always wanted!
Be well! Lead Well! I believe in you! Now go enjoy your coffee and/or tea!
