Be Open. Be Impatient. Be Hopeful
Businesses crumbling down. Economy taking a downfall. Salaries being cut and employees being laid off. It seems like the human race is facing its worst nightmare.
But wait, is this the first time that’s happening? Certainly, not. The long arc of history tells us that human existence has been marred with all types of crises; from wars to pandemics, we’ve seen it all. And, that we have always prevailed, overcoming the new challenges that have been thrown at us.
The current COVID-19 is one such time. And, the way we handle such times can define our life.
I believe that as leaders, it is our responsibility to steer our teams to safety and positivity during such times. How can we do it?
Well, here are my three simple pieces of advice to all the leaders:
1) Be Open
Acclimatize to the changing environment. Remote work is the new normal - before you expect your team to get used to this fact, make yourself comfortable with this fact.
I have seen leaders struggling to accept this switch to remote work, doubting the productivity of their teams. In fact, they are so panic-stricken that instead of keeping their focus on getting things completed, they are more concerned about tracking every minute activity of their employees.
Such an approach shows a lack of trust, and if you cannot trust your employees you cannot evolve.
My advice to all such leaders is to trust your employees and be open to this change. Just like you, it is new to them as well.
2) Be impatient
By impatient, what I’m implying here is to find better ways of doing things according to this changing environment.
For instance, managing things like tasks, projects, and your teams while switching to this new normal.
There’s technology out there to help you. Make the most of it.
At ProofHub, we’ve been inspiring scattered teams to better manage their tasks, collaborate, and work efficiently with our software for years. This is the reason that more than 75000+ teams and businesses trust us for making the lives of their teams easier and better.
Looking for better ways to manage your remote teams? Switch to ProofHub.
If you have been relying on emails to manage your teams and tasks while working in-house, there won’t be a better time to switch to a project management software like ProofHub to add clarity in the process.
3) Be Hopeful
There’s will be light at the end of this tunnel. It always has been and it always will be. The only thing you need is the clarity and hope to be able to see this light and inspire your team to do the same.
As the famous saying from Christopher Reeve goes ‘once you choose hope, everything is possible’.
Stick to a positive attitude, work with complete dedication, and make sure that the physical and emotional stress of your employees amidst these difficult times is being taken care of.
Instead of talking to them about just work, bring out the human side, and interact with them on things that are beyond work too. This will go a long way to build a trustful team that will always stick with you, no matter how tough the situations get.
Much of these thoughts are inspired by the recent speech by Sunder Pichai given at the graduation ceremony hosted by YouTube. I’m sure, it can inspire all the leaders who are working tirelessly to keep their teams inspired, and doing whatever they can to come out of this crisis situation, stronger than ever!
Author Bio:
Sandeep Kashyap is the Founder and CEO of ProofHub— a leading project management software. He’s one person always on a lookout for innovative ideas about filling the communication gap between groups, teams, and organisations. You’ll find him saying, “Let’s go!†instead of “Go!†many times a day. That’s what makes him write about leadership in a way people are inspired to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more. For more inspirational articles follow him on Linkedin.