Best Practice Briefing #3 on "Leading Through #COVID-19 Crisis" - Adopt Employee-Centric Strategic Approach

Introduction

During these challenging times resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, leaders at all levels need to resist the impulse to adopt a short-term approach, instead, they must implement strategic actions that will position their organization for success when the situation rebounds.

In the Best Practice Briefing #2, we shared the impact of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) challenges resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis on businesses. The period of volatility can also create opportunities that businesses can leverage if they are prepared. In the case of the COVID-19 outbreak, organizations that take a more longer-term approach can spark innovations that will create a sustainable competitive advantage when the crisis is over.

We need to take steps to bolster our organizations, it’s important to prioritize our most valuable asset - our people. They too are often facing unprecedented pressures and uncertainties, both economic and personal. Whatever affects their families, friends and broader communities affects them.

In recent weeks, CEE consulting and c-suite coaching clients have shared that most of their employees feel overwhelmed, upset, and anxious when faced with the uncertainty resulting from the current COVID-19 crisis. The primary concern is that these employees who are worried about their future are likely to be distracted and unproductive at the workplace.

Putting the customer first has been the mantra of many companies for a long time. But however correct the mantra maybe, perhaps it’s time to question the wisdom of it. Some companies already have, that is, "put the customer second, after employees". The results are surprising and enlightening – engaged and contented employees and companies cited for their best practices. Moreover, customers are satisfied. This "Employee-Centric Results-Based Leadership (RBL)" Framework presents an operating model and a proven approach for putting employees first especially in times of crisis to address their uncertainty.

The question being asked is "What should a leader do to engage them and how they can keep their team focused while also helping them cope with the feelings that ambiguity brings up?"

Engaging the Team During Times of Uncertainty

In response to such developments, leaders must ensure that their team feels safe, supported and valued at work, no matter what is happening outside the organization’s walls. For instance, when governments issued lockdowns or border controls including travel restrictions, they need to provide support to the employees by creating digital resources, tools and policies on work-from-home (WFH), hosting calls to share information and updates, and connecting them one-on-one with employee assistance professionals if such programs are offered by the organization.

If you sense your employees are concerned about the organization or their jobs, don’t carry on with business as usual. The reason being that these employee experiences are very real and can’t be ignored or denied, instead you need to acknowledge them. However, a word of caution, you should avoid a workplace climate to the extent where the employees are pensive or demonstrating ruminative behavior where they get stuck in a negative spiral. As a leader, you need to acknowledge how people are feeling, but then move on to talk about how you want to act as a team.

Conduct One-on-One Coaching Conversations

Leaders should conduct one-on-one coaching conversations with every team member. Allow them to describe what they’re going through. Adopt emphatic listening by understanding from their perspective on what they are experiencing as you would want to truly understand what they think and feel, even if you don’t agree or feel the same thing. This empathy forms the basis of trust so that you can move into problem-solving mode.

You may say, “I understand that we are in for a tough time. What are your key challenges or holding you back at the moment? What are your thoughts or actions to resolve them? Let’s think about it together, because I want to help and provide the necessary support to make sure you can get your work done.”

It could be that they need some extra guidance on how to reduce distractions, advice on prioritizing their work, or increased flexibility such as work from home or remotely.

Leaders can do this with the whole team by developing a Team Charter and asking, “How do we want to act during these times? How do we want to treat one another?”

Members might agree that they want to continue delivering a quality product to your clients while being respectful and kind to one another, for example. It helps a team stay grounded when you reassert and reaffirm a shared sense of purpose as advocated in the SCORE Framework of High Performance Teams.

Conclusion

Leaders must also recognize that periods of heightened uncertainty during the COVID-19 crisis can impact substantially on employee engagement and productivity. This is also the ripe opportunity for leading competitors to poach your valued or right mission-critical talent. When such team members are concerned about the future of the organization, some may choose to leave for other opportunities, and others may become fearful and less engaged. Leaders must enhance their consistent and positive communications including through coaching conversation that emphasizes steps the organization is taking to be more agile and resilient.

Best Practice Briefings on “Leading Through COVID-19 Crisis”

These Best Practice Briefings on “Leading Through COVID-19 Crisis” is to share the tips and insights on how to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on your business. The links to the previous briefings are appended below:

1)     Best Practice Briefing #1 - Reassure Your Team During Uncertainty

2)     Best Practice Briefing #2 – Managing the VUCA Impact

Masterclass on "Leading Through COVID-19" in Action

The Masterclass on "Leading Through COVID-19 Crisis" was successfully delivered for the leadership team of RHT Group of Companies and RHTLaw Asia on 12 and 19 March 2020 respectively.

Learning Outcomes:

This Leadership Masterclass on "Leading Through COVID-19" will provide business leaders with:

1. Perspective on the evolving situation and the challenges and implications for their companies and leveraging on the prevailing opportunities.
2. Best practices in instilling trust among stakeholders that the organization can be resilient and secure in the face of the epidemic or other disruptive events.
3. Tactics in adapting business continuity plan to address disruptions with speed, agility, and security
4. Tools and resources to lead their teams and sustain productivity during these challenging times

About CEE and Leadership Masterclass Series

The Centre for Executive Education (CEE) is an award-winning and the premier network for established human resource management and executive development consulting firms globally. We partner with clients to identify, select and develop their next generation of leaders who will navigate the organization through tomorrow’s business challenges.

The Leadership 4.0 Masterclass Series is designed to provide CEOs, C-Suite Leaders as well Business and HR leaders with a platform to develop from being good to great. It is designed to provide CEOs, C-Suite Leaders as well as Business and HR leaders with a platform to develop from being good to great.

The programs incorporate several unique features and work on several levels. It is specifically aimed at enhancing and developing the skills, knowledge, and behaviors of the participants. The participants will develop their understanding of Leadership Effectiveness and how it will lead to a creation of sustainable competitive advantage for their respective organizations through the development of an organizational climate that will contribute towards enhancing employee engagement and productivity.

Client Testimonials

Selected Client Testimonials could be found here.

Contact Details

For further details, contact us via email at [email protected] and visit www.cee-global.com

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