Covid-19 has shown a huge impact on how we behave to how we work and socialize. Leaders have been evolving and practising increased empathy and compassion with their employees.
The questions we right now have in our minds are:
Will empathy be practised the same way post-COVID-19?
Will there be a new way of working?
How will employees be dealt with after this crisis?
Let’s see a few aspects that will crucial for business leaders and their firms to ensure survival and adaptability in the long run.
The global impact of Covid-19 has made mental health a broad societal issue. Increasing companies will be seen making mental health and well being of employees, a priority even after Covid-19.
It will be necessary to set a tone that emphasizes concern for your employees’ well-being by offering compassion, honesty and openness. Check-in with employees and actively listen, so they feel heard. Communicate consistently to reduce employees’ uncertainty and build emotional support.
After a global pandemic, you have to be prepared for a more flexible approach by being consistent in communications and acting as a role model for your employees by adapting practices/ policies which are beneficial.
Post Covid-19 will emerge a new world of remote working, where a structured communication model will be beneficial. To do this well, numerous channels should be employed for effective communication.
As a leader, you can remove roadblocks, provide your remote team with the required tools and training they will require for ongoing communication and quick decision-making. With traditional structure getting outdated, you got to be a true leader and must step up to facilitate information flow across the organization.
More than ever before, companies will realise that working “nine to five” is unsuited to the demands of a modern workforce. There will be a greater emphasis on flexibility of employees to accomplish their best ability to work, also taking in consideration whether it meets their personal needs as well as the needs of the company.
You can practice empathy and support your employees to take out time for themselves-exercising, spending time with family, etc. Policies should be structured in a way so that employees can be a part of a culture where true work-life blend can be achieved.
This crisis has turned our lives upside down. Post Covid-19, there will be an increasing need for leaders to practice empathy towards employees considering their unique circumstances. Covid-19 has brought a change in our behaviours, and the workplace is no exception. Rather than being reactive, you need to prepare and set expectations for the way of working which will benefit the organization, so employees can focus on the business priorities of the future. There should be structures in place for your team to voice concerns and request support.
Also Read: How Great Leaders Act In The Time Of A Crisis: Responding To The Covid-19 Outbreak
Companies have realised the importance of employee engagement when the majority of the employees in the globe work remotely and are confined to their homes leaving them isolated from their team members. Leaders are using innovative ways to use technology to connect their team even when they are physically distanced through organizing contests, virtual lunches and coffee breaks with the help of various collaborative tools.
Post Covid-19 will see innovative leaders, bringing their virtual team together and collaborating the same way they would have done in the office. Employees will be given the freedom to draw a line between work and personal life as there will be more flexible policies and trust will be instilled between the leader and his employees.
If there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that this crisis has brought a huge change in the workplace, so you, as a leader should focus on taking hold of what’s working today and integrate quickly into the everyday. The current crisis will eventually pass and a new normal will emerge- till then keep practising empathy and instilling trust in your employees.
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