Leadership in a crisis: lessons learned
When the pandemic hit the headlines in the UK and government announced the first lockdown last year, whole organisations had to literally shift overnight from the office to working at home. Often our biases become heightened in a crisis where our natural tendency is to seek out views of others who we share things in common with us otherwise known as affinity or similarity bias.
What has this meant for leaders?
Responding to the crisis and managing that shift to remote working and changes in how we work has required a huge dose of empathy and compassion amongst leaders as many of their colleagues including themselves have had to adjust not only to working at home but also juggling home schooling, looking after an ill relative/neighbour whilst managing a job.
The pandemic and the seismic shift to remote working has left the door slightly ajar to peoples’ own lives, encouraging us to open up and it has required managers and leaders to be open, show more empathy and compassion as we are all experiencing this differently. This requires putting ourselves in our colleagues’ shoes to understand where they are coming from, getting to know our teams better, what issues they are facing and share our own vulnerabilities.
Unconscious biases, our natural people behavioural preferences, shape how we view the world and those around us. Bias exists in us all. They form an important function to wade through the vast amount of information our brains process every moment of the day. Yet when it comes to people bias can have an adverse impact. Our biases tend to be amplified when we are stressed, under pressure, hungry or tired.
And even more so this past year and a half with worries about loved ones, lockdown restrictions, the economy and its impact on peoples’ mental health, businesses and adapting to new ways of working and communicating with our colleagues.
Whilst most restrictions have now lifted, the effects of the pandemic and lockdown are very much still there with some people feeling anxious about meeting up, returning to the office or feeling the effects of Covid on their lives and loved ones.
So what can leaders and managers to lead more inclusively and create safe spaces for employees to be themselves, feel comfortable to open up and to thrive in this new normal?
• Manage boundaries, have conversations early on and keep having them as peoples’ circumstances change. Be mindful of people’s individual circumstances and when individuals can/can’t take a call/respond to emails. Everyone’s circumstances will be different.
• Keep people motivated: involve those you might not usually go to come up with solutions, suggest ways of doing things differently etc.
• Ensure regular check ins with each team member, find out how they’re coping and what support they need.
• Be flexible: individuals’ circumstances may change and it’s important to be mindful of that and ensure they feel supported.
• Acting with integrity and understanding the interests and needs of all different stakeholders.
• Be authentic and share your vulnerabilities- it’s ok to admit mistakes, that we as leaders don't have the answers to everything and be humble about it.
• Be flexible and compassionate with others. Some colleagues may feel anxious or worried about returning to the office or meeting up whilst others maybe feeling the effects of long Covid or loss of a family member.
• Encourage team members to switch off, get outside at lunch and take a break from their desk.
