The pandemic shook the entire world. Nobody was truly prepared, physically or emotionally, to face this enormous challenge for more than a year... with more still to come. Over time, whether you have continued working from home, returned to the office part-time or not changed your routine at all, COVID has affected team morale, productivity, execution and even concentration, empathy and synergy.
We see employees deeply depressed because they cannot resume life as they knew it, anxious about whether their company will still operate tomorrow and frustrated that their plans were cut short. Entire families fight like cats and dogs in a cage, juggling virtual meetings, conferences and home schooling while the gas delivery vendor, secondhand goods collector, courier, street sweeper and barking pet add to the noise. It is a real test of patience and emotional control.
Life goes on. We have adapted to different environments and circumstances, but above all, COVID 19 has forced team leaders to develop or improve competencies for managing interdisciplinary teams remotely. If you are seeking a way to regain some peace and confidence on this seemingly endless pandemic journey, I want to share 7 new management skills this environment has required us to develop:
- Patience. First, understand that this mental challenge is an endurance race. At this rate, we will probably face similar conditions throughout 2021, or at least for 3 quarters of the year. It is time to develop or strengthen your patience. Do you lose your temper quickly? Do you wake up in a bad mood, go to bed in a bad mood, or feel that way all the time? Does the sound of your partner’s or children’s voices make your stomach churn? Then yes, you need to work on patience. This means changing your mindset about the situation. You are getting caught up in individual incidents instead of taking life in stride. Relax. Take 20 minutes at the start of the day to meditate, plan your day or recharge with positive energy through hobbies that make you happy: music, exercise or painting. If that means getting up earlier, do it! Your inner dialogue at the start of the day is essential to approaching the rest calmly. Begin with an activity that helps you open your mind and relax.
- Resilience. I know it is the fashionable term… but seriously! We need to start practicing it. Resilience is not only the human ability to face life's difficulties, but also to emerge stronger, smarter and better than before. It means putting previously unfamiliar approaches into practice, seeing things more positively, understanding that change is part of life, and getting the “body” used to tackling difficulties with determination. Every difficult situation brings an internal learning process. Just make sure you keep asking yourself, “What should I learn from this?” If you do not have the answer immediately, do not stop until you find it. By the end of the pandemic, you should emerge stronger, but you have to work toward that, because it does not happen by osmosis.
- Adapt to change. Control what you can control and adapt to what you cannot. If you dislike video calls, they put you in a bad mood, you cannot figure out Zoom, your children are taking classes right in front of you, you work longer hours, the internet is slow, or remote management makes you uneasy, you need to begin adapting. Think about the benefits these new circumstances offer instead of dwelling on what you lost or left behind. You are still thinking about the past. What for? Look toward the future positively. Life is giving you a chance to learn new skills, challenge your assumptions and improve yourself.
- Technology management. Closely linked to the previous point, technology offers countless benefits, provided you are willing to develop them. Were you struggling with traffic, unable to eat at home or see your family, living life at a relentless pace? These are some of the problems remote team management can address, with one benefit in particular: TIME. Our most indispensable resource. Today, dear reader, I am certain you can have more time for yourself and your loved ones if you learn to manage technology.
- Time management. Consequently, if you adapt to change and manage technology better, at some point you will realize you are more productive but also working more. Learn to prioritize tasks, tackle urgent and important matters first, and plan your day, activities and work better. Above all, learn to delegate! You do not have to do everything yourself; that is why we have teams to help with different responsibilities. Do not be so possessive of “your ball.” Instead, develop your staff so they can do things as well as, or even better than, you.
- Training. To manage time and delegate, you must learn to train your staff. But be careful: this competency involves more than “showing” people how something is done. It requires a teaching and learning methodology, with different techniques, methods and applications depending on whether training takes place in a classroom, on a computer, on the shop floor, at a point of sale, etc. It also depends on whether the subject is a process requiring in-depth analysis, repetitive work, mathematical work, etc.; everything has both form and substance. Make sure you communicate tasks correctly and train your staff. Otherwise, you will always be the person who has to do everything.
- Empowerment. Finally, delegate the authority and responsibility for the entire activity—not fragments or little pieces to assemble later, but the whooole task! Otherwise, you will create more rework for yourself. This competency means more than saying, “From today, you are responsible for this activity and report to me every Friday...” Empowerment is also a process that takes time, and you cannot delegate to just anyone. We often immediately want to assign responsibility to our “right-hand person” or “direct report.” Sometimes, however, that person does NOT have the knowledge or tools needed for the mission, or does not even want or care to do it. Remember: even shoes will not fit if forced.
These are seven new skills that every team leader must start working on, developing and refining during Covid-19. Otherwise, after a year of disruption, the cracks in your team will start turning into complete fractures, and repairing them in the future will be a real challenge, dear reader. Better to get moving and adapt team management to the new reality. I assure you that, in the medium term, things will run much more smoothly than before. Keep that in mind.
Sssssssssshowtimeeeeeeee!!!
