We are going to start seeing an increasing opportunity for staff to come back to work. Whether this be in person or from home. The work will start changing from response to COVID 19 to providing those programs and services your customers or citizens have become accustomed to.
I strongly encourage you to take this re-launch time to inspire a renewed sense of team and being part of something bigger than our individual selves. This is always an important part of creating an organization that sets itself apart when it comes to performance. A sense of pride and accomplishment goes a long way to getting the most out of people. It becomes infectious.
The added wrinkle right now is the extra layer of anxiety and stress that is going to be part of coming back to work, even if remotely. You must do everything expected to provide a safe space for staff to work. Follow all the rules, regulations and suggestions provided by internal and external experts in the area of COVID 19 operational practices. But also look for an opportunity to get staff excited about being back together as a team, remind them of the bigger picture and what it is we are all here to accomplish. And, if this is lacking, commit to them that we will be making an effort to understand what this bigger picture looks like for our stakeholders and our internal team. They will be asked to be a big part of it.
Making this effort right now will be beneficial from a couple different perspectives. You will end up with an improved focus on your longer term goals and aspirations so as to better inform more immediate decisions. Clarity of purpose comes with this inspired activity. Perhaps more importantly and covertly you will be playing a part in calming some of the anxiousness that may arrive getting back to work. With a collective understanding of the bigger picture and their own part of achieving success in that ultimate goal, staff can focus on work and not just the conditions surrounding that work.
I am eager to hear how people are making out. Please share your stories.
Namaste friends
Kelly