29 Oct 2020
After all the recent upheaval, it is imperative that practices are getting their teams back in shape, and working towards a harmonious and focused workplace to move forward. MWI Business Academy leader and VN Bobbie Flight shares a few ideas to help keep your team on track.
Bobbie Flight
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This year has turned out to be one of the most unusual and challenging periods that any of us have ever experienced, writes MWI Business Academy leader and VN, Bobbie Flight.
Had this been written prior to COVID-19 and lockdown, many of the principles and observations would have remained the same; however, our people and working practices have become tested beyond anything we could have planned for or imagined.
As a practice owner or leader, you are also shouldering the burden of an uncertain business future and how the restrictions on the working environment will impact on your practice performance.
Therefore, after all the recent upheaval, it is imperative that practices are getting their teams back in shape and working towards a harmonious and focused workplace to move forward. Here are a few ideas to help keep your team on track.
Everyone (including you) is still very unsure of what is going on, both inside and outside the workplace. People still have friends and family that they are concerned about and the spectre of COVID-19 and all “its” ramifications still looms large. Take time to find out where individuals are coming under the most pressure and reassure them of their future within the practice.
Some of your furloughed staff may feel neglected or second best, while those who continued working may be frazzled and feel put upon. Often, when team members behave differently to normal, there is an underlying cause that, once uncovered, can be managed and provide stability and confidence on both sides.
Due to the furloughing of team members and the divide between those who remained, practices may find the team has become disjointed, with potential for some resentment on both sides. Moving forward, it is imperative to be as fair as possible with everyone to negate an “us and them” type of situation. Tired team members who may struggle with those who have been away from the business need to understand the important role their colleagues played by staying home.
Those returning to work also need to appreciate how hard the skeleton group had to work to keep the practice going over lockdown and beyond. Try not to keep the teams separate or an even bigger division may occur. Integrate a combination of those who remained and those furloughed on each shift, creating new mini, hybrid teams, and set clear goals so they can all work towards the same objectives together.
Generally, as human beings, we don’t like change, and there has been much of it lately. To facilitate change, make it very clear what the new systems are. Support those systems with robust protocols that everyone understands and explain the reason behind the changes. Usually, once people understand why things are being done differently, they will strive hard to make it work for you.
At present, it isn’t easy to plan ahead; however, short-term goals are key to keeping people on track and focused. Make these as SMART (specific, measurable, action-orientated and timely) as possible and monitor progress carefully, so everyone knows where you are. Monthly, or even weekly, objectives can give purpose to a team and will get everyone pulling together in the right direction.
Even minor wins should be recognised to inspire confidence and give stability to the team. Keeping positive, especially at the moment, is crucial and will encourage everyone to continue to achieve more, get excited about the future and focus on what is needed.
Ensure you have put the right people in the right places as you motivate your team in this new and ever-changing environment. Try not to take on the burden of everything yourself – learn to delegate. Do a simple analysis of your team members, looking at their strengths and identify who may help you moving forward.
Give the responsibility of specific tasks to team members, keep accountability and coach them through the process. This can significantly lessen your load and ensure things are being completed well, in turn giving job satisfaction and greater fulfilment to others.
Experience has shown that often when leaders are under pressure themselves, communication can be the thing that gets lost. In times of enormous change and stress, our team needs us to communicate more than ever. Too much information is better than not enough.
As leaders, our aim is to provide focus and motivation, reduce stress and give reassurance and guidance. The only way to achieve this is by communicating with everyone on a regular basis. If we fail to do so, people lose confidence and direction, start doing their own thing, just look out for themselves, protect themselves and stop caring for others. This can result in a diminished team dynamic – just a group of individuals working autonomously – and that can be a recipe for disaster. So, difficult as it may be, ensure you are keeping people informed as effectively as possible or delegate some of the communication responsibilities to people you trust.
A huge opportunity exists to get back on track really quickly and stronger than ever, but it is all dependent on the team pulling together. Hopefully, some of these ideas will help as we move forward to a more stable business future.
