With luck we only have a few days remaining with stay at home orders and yet, many have felt this lockdown is almost harder to wear than the first, writes Sharon Williams founder of Taurus Marketing.
Is it because we are staying home during school and university holidays, decimating a whole load of get away plans? Or is it also, awareness that those businesses who managed to hold on last year are now being hit in a second wave of financial hardship.
Walking round my local area, I’ve noticed more shop, hospitality and fitness business closures – as if this time it was all too much to hang in.
Some of those who battled through the first lockdown, are unable to survive the second. Meanwhile, I have seen ripples of anxiety being felt by business owners through most industries and all job titles.
For me, care of the team, clients and cashflow remain my priority.
It helps to sail through unchartered waters with an extraordinary team backing you at every jolt. With more community transmissions being announced every day, it’s important that together, with our teams, we adapt to the unknown and keep powering through where we can.
Here are six tips for working from home with a team
Find what works for YOU first
Pair your workdays with a lockdown friendly activity. Take part in something every day, even for a small snack of time, that gives you a sense of achievement, happiness or fulfilment.
Whether that be keeping physically active, teaching yourself something new or structuring your day to maintain a sense of normality.
I use my morning walks to catch up with clients over the phone so important work is done by the early start of a workday and I start feeling ahead.
Look for the upside
There is an upside to every down. Larger plans may be put on hold, but this doesn’t stop finding and creating smaller wins. Lockdown can mean extended time with family, finding creative ways to fill time, socially distanced walks and exercise and Zoom meetings broken by kindness, movement and exercise.
Celebrate each win, no matter how small and focus on that sense of achievement. After all, Australian’s are resilient, we’ve done it before and we will do it again.
Positivity at the forefront of conversation
While there is no one size fits all when it comes to nailing internal comms and workplace culture, effective communication should remain front of mind for us now.
As you sit in virtual meetings, ask each team member individually how they are coping with lockdown. The stories are inspiring and give a chance to see the positive. Each team member can express what’s going on for them and others can reach out with encouragement. In our meetings, the team expressed their concerns for the community and how thankful they are to be safe. The mood lifted.
Workplace mental health expert, Dr Frank Chow of 2OP Health says, “Staying connected with remote employees and fostering a positive workplace culture is the key to business continuity and success.”
With this in mind, our team at Taurus has been setting aside ten minutes for virtual morning coffees to keep the usual office routine and interaction going.
“These activities may also help reduce the stress and increase their overall mental health and wellbeing” says Dr Frank Chow.
Lock in your COVID plan of action
Mental health moments are a must. Do encourage your team to speak up – if they need time out, take it.
Flexibility is key and work doesn’t always need to be undertaken 9-5.
So if team members look exhausted, give them some time out to re-gather momentum. If there is anything that COVID has taught us about the workplace, it’s that flexibility can work, is not always detrimental to the business and give a chance to get through the more challenging times.
Regular touchpoints
Extending team meetings to touch base with everyone, as if teams are in office, brings a sense of regularity back and lifts team morale.
It also reinforces a sense of comfort and support that while isolated, team members don’t need to feel alone during this period.
One of the impacts of regular touchpoints encourages and builds confidence. In many organisations, the pandemic has ended up fast tracking younger members of the team to step up by forced circumstance.
Plan the back to work
Once restrictions are lifted, check in with your team. There will be a range of emotions and experiences, from travelling on public transport, to regaining confidence that may have fallen off at home or seen individuals on team, step up and learn something new. Each circumstance is relative and it our job as leader to recognise this.
As uncertainty continues to affect businesses, we as leaders need to act and implement a variety of strategies to reach out effectively to employees as well as customers and suppliers during these times.
While we are, it seems, at the beck and call of Federal and differing advice from State leaders, NSW it would seem remain in sensible hands.
Emerging stronger from the bounds of the pandemic through strong internal comms strategies, will speak to our character, resilience and tenacity as individuals, brands, society and a nation.
Want more? Get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! Follow Kochie’s Business Builders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Now read this
Trending
Weekly business news and insights, delivered to your inbox.