Weeks of Crisis have left everyone in various stages of overwhelmed and numb. Organizations have had to make massive adjustments to how they do business and how their workforce gets the job done. Essential workers are being run ragged and non-essential workers are doing the best they can from home. Many employees have risen above and beyond, doing what they can to remain productive.
But do they really understand what needs to be done?
Here are 4 tips for refocusing employees during a Crisis:
1) Forget it. Not everything is going to come back on the other side of this pandemic or any other Crisis. Somethings are just going to have to go by the wayside, perhaps forever. Holding onto an old goal isn’t going to do anyone any good. Even though progress may be lost, don’t be afraid to ditch anything that doesn’t support new pivots.
2) Keep Coaching. Some managers may claim it’s a waste of time, but Coaching is the best path to staying in touch with your team members while aligning them with the latest strategic pivots. Whatever was communicated in the previous Coaching sessions is likely a moot point now. Even if overall goals haven’t changed, execution and the needs of your employees most definitely has. Clarity and direction will go a long way in making teams feel safer and be more productive.
If you’re using the Catalytic Coaching Online software powered by Energage, then you can easily use the Off Cycle feature to initiate a new Coaching cycle. Not sure how to do that? Check out the Software Training section under the Resources tab when you’re logged in.
3) Focus those Focus Areas. We already talked about how a Company Pivot Changes Coaching. Last January’s priority of learning how to lead a team meeting may still be relevant, but it’ll need refreshing to include navigating digital meeting platforms. Another employee’s Focus Area for developing a new widget may not be practical anymore thanks to a radically changed market. Shift their energy into more productive goals that are aligned with the new normal.
If a manager is having a hard time developing those Focus Areas, they can lean on their organization's Coach2 for guidance. A Coach of Coaches is an invaluable resource during any time, but especially when Coaching becomes vital to an organization’s agility.
4) Make accommodations. With everyone’s nerves being tested under stress, some needs of your employees have changed. Tom may be an excellent customer support agent, but working from home while his wife and their three school aged kids share two computers and have no office space available would negatively impact anyone’s performance. Providing additional technology resources or offering restricted access for a limited number of employees to come back into the office may be needed. It’ll mean taking extra precautions, but will result in a happier workforce. Remember, “if you take care of your employees, they’ll take care of your clients.” ~Richard Branson
There’s a brand new program available to support companies that are Coaching Through Crisis. Gary designed it to be an interactive virtual workshop that guides business leaders on what to Say, Ask, and Do to get their company through any catastrophe. For more information or request a workshop, please visit the Coaching Through Crisis page.
Garold (Gary) Markle is the creator of Catalytic Coaching and author of Catalytic Coaching: The End of the Performance Review. He brings real world experience from 17 years in HR leadership in major corporations coupled with 20 years of teaching small and mid-sized organizations how to cultivate their leadership and ditch their detrimental performance reviews for a proven Coaching process.
Book Gary to speak to your audience about speeding your pace of significant change.
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