Trimming the sails

CHANGING times call for new ways of doing things. In light of the recent events, organizations are slowly picking up business while adopting new policies and work instructions to meet with people’s need for a safe work environment. Whatever your company deems necessary to get the work done while ensuring safety of employees, your team will look up to you for guidance and direction in adjusting to changes in work arrangements. To assuage fears and help your team get on track, here are several things you can do to lead your team so they can adapt to the changes.

n Be honest. Your team will greatly appreciate it if you keep them in the loop and know that you have their back. Be transparent with the changes and explain to your team as much as you can the changes that will happen in the next weeks or even months. Your team members need to understand what is going to happen so they can prepare properly. Require from yourself what you intend to require from your team. An example is when you require your team to be in the office and yet you work from home even if you are not precluded by any condition. Even if you are the manager, you set a bad example for your team by being the first to not follow your own instructions. As Gandhi once said: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

In turbulent times, meet as often as you can. Over communicate to make sure everyone understands the changes and what is required from everyone. In the same vein, meet regularly so team members have a venue to ask their questions and you can clarify them before it escalates into a crisis. This will also help you get to know your team’s sentiments and give you an opportunity to think of ways to address them or even raise the concern to the management.

n Pay attention to what your team is saying. Invite questions and draw out resistance so you can develop strategies to win them over. Listen also to what other departments are telling you and get tips on what is working for them. This will give you an idea if you can use the same in your team. But then again, if you know your team and are paying attention to what they are saying, you would know which practices would work.

And since everything is changing, everyone is also adjusting and looking for what works for their own industry. To leverage on the creativity and critical thinking skills of your team, create an environment of learning. Failure should be treated as a first attempt at learning and an opportunity to understand the strengths and opportunities of your team members. You can then calibrate the workload to take advantage of team members’ strengths and, at the same time, create a development plan for your team so everyone is at par with what is expected of their position.

n Be a Positive Beacon for your team. Change may be tricky to navigate, but as a leader you need to provide the needed encouragement through your speech, demeanor, and how you handle different personalities and oppositions. Do not be afraid when people are doubtful, discouraged, or even antagonistic because what they feel is their own. Your role as a leader is to inspire and even persuade them how the change will benefit them in the long run. Most people are resistant to change because it would mean moving away from their comfort zones. But if they see someone going ahead and showing the way, it will become easier for them to follow.

And however small the change, maintain the momentum of change by avoiding being overly critical. Focus more on the successes of your team and do not forget to celebrate small wins to provide an added boost to the morale of your team. This also serves to win over dissenters who may have initially thought that the change would be difficult or even impossible. This will also help solidify headways into the new work arrangements and provide stepping stones to new ways of working.

n recognize Publicly those who do well and talk Privately to those who are struggling so you can offer help or clear roadblocks for them. Reward effort more than completion of work. This encourages team members to be resilient and keep trying to improve rather than doing the work for the sake of doing it. This is the growth mindset where effort plays a key role in helping your team develop creative solutions for uncommon problems. Your role as a leader is to provide a safe environment where your team is free to meet targets the best way they know how. You can do this by empowering your team to make decisions on their own to get the work done. Just make sure it is clear to them your expected results but leave to them how they can get there. You might be surprised to discover what your team can do when you empower them to make their own decisions. This also allows you to see who steps up to the plate and narrows the people you can mentor to replace you.

And in everything your team accomplishes, always acknowledge that it is the team’s success. Do not hoard accolades. The mark of a good leader is when they trust their team to stand up on their own because they know they have done their best in training their people. And the best compliment you can receive as a leader is when someone under you is promoted because that just shows how much you have invested in developing their potential into reality.

n most of all, Be consistent. Team members resist changes when you are unpredictable, or when they know you will throw them under the bus. As a leader, you are the backbone that provides the stability for the team. They need to understand that you see them as people and not just a cog in the wheel. If you want your team to go in the direction you are going, they need to understand you are trustworthy and you are moving the same direction as they are. Because, as John Maxwell rightly puts it, “if you think you’re leading but no one is following, then you are only taking a walk.” n

Be a positive beacon for your team. Change may be tricky to navigate, but as a leader you need to provide the needed encouragement through your speech, demeanor, and how you handle different personalities and oppositions. Do not be afraid when people are doubtful, discouraged, or even antagonistic because what they feel is their own. Your role as a leader is to inspire and even persuade them how the change will benefit them in the long run.