Pace Yourself

Contrary to the predictions of us having lots of time to spare with no travel and countries in 'lock down', in reality, senior executives have never been so busy.

Most organisations are in full crisis mode dealing with disruptions in trading, site closures, staff shortages and cash flow challenges which, coupled with the blurring of our professional and personal lives as a result of remote working, is putting unprecedented strain on those in leadership positions. However, as the 'new normal' takes hold, it's clear that this is going to be a marathon not a sprint and the intensity of the early days needs to be replaced with a transition to a more measured tempo.

The end of another week of social distancing offers the opportunity to take stock and make the necessary adjustments to ensure the pace is appropriate and that individual wear and tear is tolerable.

Here is a leader's checklist of things to watch-out for:

1. Huddles. Generally a good practice, made more relevant by working remotely and the pace at which events are changing. Most have daily huddles and some even have twice daily huddles. Whilst appropriate in the earliest moments of the crisis, this is not sustainable. We suggest that all teams review on a weekly basis their frequency of meetings to check it is appropriate. The key to this is to recognise the moment of transition from crisis to the new normal, and adjust accordingly. For many, that moment has arrived.
2. Limit communication channels. At the onset of the crisis, many switched to WhatsApp which offers a real time nature that seemed suited to the moment. There are many problems with using WhatsApp in a work setting, as many have discovered over the past few weeks. Teams (and similar applications) are much better suited but many are on a very steep learning curve in the use of these tools and run the risk of channel overload as leaders need to monitor and work on an ever-expanding list of applications. To limit this, we recommend explicitly contracting with your teams on what applications you will use - and which you will not - as well as agreeing expectations on responsiveness and availability, so everyone's expectations are aligned and calibrated.
3. Look out for each other. Without the advantage of being physically in the same place and with the relentless demand of an unending task list, it's easy not to notice if someone is struggling. Make sure you connect on a personal level, give extra allowances for the blurring of our personal and professional lives and keep an eye out when someone needs your support. The phrase 'We'll get through this together' is over-used, but true.
4. Look out for yourself. Many find themselves at back-to-back video conferences with barely time to eat. This is not healthy or sustainable. For you to be at your best, you need to have down time, to exercise regularly and to eat properly. Schedule time into your day for these things and protect the time in your calendar.
5. Look for the bottlenecks. Pay special attention to the people in your organisations who are the 'hyper-connectors' - every organisation has them - the people who are central for a number of critical processes. Usually, these individuals are the ones with the experience and knowledge of how the organisation really works and they will be bearing a disproportionate degree of strain in the current environment. If you don't know who they are, find them and look after them.

As many organisations are finding, it easier to enter crisis mode than get out of it, so keep discussing what measures are appropriate and stay flexible as you adjust to the new normal. Maintaining your mental and physical health as well as an open and flexible mindset will be vital for leaders in the weeks ahead.