How are you settling in to our “temporary normal?” It’s a bit eerie, isn’t it? Where we go from here is really anyone’s guess, but welcome to the “Great American Shut Down.” A few of us at The Malone Group put our heads together to ponder some ideas for navigating our revised world, remembering to put our good health first. We hope you enjoy.
Keep Calm and...
Lead a Lot – It would be hard to overstate what’s important right now. If you “go home” feeling you might have over done it, you probably hit it just right. People will look to you for guidance. Lead with intention and optimism; express confidence, instill optimism, be realistic.
Be Resilient – Whether we show it or not, it’s a stressful time. Maintain your own resilience and health; take care of yourself to be able to be there for the team. Remember to breathe, to be mindful, to be kind, to bring humor to the day, to ask how others are doing.
Bring Out the Best – Notice the wonderful ways in which others step up. Tuck away some disappointments for another day….or, put on your coaching hat! What can you do to bring out the best in each person? Reinforce the message: “We are one. We need to support each other to get through this time.”
Listen – Be deliberate about maintaining community and instilling the feeling of being in this together. Taking a few extra minutes to listen to the concerns and feelings of those around you will go a long way. Active Listening suggests hearing both the lyrics and the melody; the words and the emotions.
Get Curious: How might you create the virtual water cooler? Or lunch table? Getting curious can be a wonderful attribute. Ask: “What’s been the weirdest observation for you so far? “What do your kids think of this situation?” Who has ideas for the issue Harry is facing?”
Adjust Timing – The frequency of the need to touch base will increase. If the norm is a monthly team meeting, maybe weekly is best right now. Etc.
Innovate – There will be some amazing innovative opportunities to mine. Dialogue on how to accomplish things differently, how to implement a solution to a new need, how to manage a process differently. Push beyond the first, second and third idea. Lasting invention will result from this experience.
Fit the Culture – Use your organizational competencies to guide behavior. For example, if Accountability is a competency, ask: What does Accountability look like right now? Customer Focus? Collaboration?
Use Involved Decision Making – More fluid, for sure. Use “communication talk” to set the notion decisions will be made with input; “social distancing” still involves people. Decisions will morph as information emerges. Let everyone know more changes and new developments will happen, expect it. Requirements: fresh thinking, nimbleness, flexibility. Related to this, extroverted thinking is key: Think out loud and together.
Thinking of you and looking forward to seeing you soon!
Sharon, Patrick and Lisa
Created by The Malone Group leaders: Sharon Malone, M.S.O.M., Patrick Sherry, Ph.D. and Lisa Milano, Psy.D.