Change: A Checklist for Leaders, numbers 1-3

A Checklist for Leaders in Change  

1. Start again with your WHY.  

Your organizational “why” should not change because of CoVid. How you get there has and will probably need to adapt.  

Simon Sinek explains the why as the foundation of the house. The house may burn down (like this current crisis might have done to your business) but the foundation will remain.

Leaders who succeed through this crisis to the new normal will be ones who take this opportunity, according to Sinek, to “..bring your why to life.” This includes re-visioning what and how change needs to align with your foundational why.  

Crisis is the great revealer with Simon Sinek.  

√ Action step:  Pause right now and write down or verbalize your personal and organizational WHY.  See it and hear it again. 

2. Be innovative and flexible instead of rigid and controlling. First and foremost because your team members are whole beings with emotional, physical and mental well-being needs. 

This 24/7 tendency to be "on" for those of us who are yet working remotely requires flexible leaders who understand that some days our hours and output will be less. Some projects and tasks might finish up late evening based on one’s home needs.

We have seen inside our colleagues' homes via Zoom and caught additional aspects of who they are as  human beings. Leaders who use this experience to relate first and foremost with care toward the whole of each member will garner the most engagement and output from their teams. 

Innovative ideas are needed as we adapt to this new normal. As I work with private schools, I hear their creativity in exploring how to meet the needs of learning, health, and community. They are exploring hybrid models, virtual school, social distancing on campus, cohort groups, as well as changes to PE and music classes. They are flexible and innovating for the fall. 

Resource: Five Tips for Happier Employees: A Checklist to Cure Your Culture by Workhuman 

√ Action step s : What have you learned that works for your team,   if working remotely? What  procedures/practices  should you yet let go to be more flexible? What are your members saying they   need?  Have you empowered an innovator to go for it and try something new?  

3. Plan time to build caring relationships to build engagement and strong teams.  

• We need each other. We are made for community. 

• The benefits of building a safe culture and engaged team has been shown to build from the strength of the relationships. 

• Time on the work clock, so to speak, must include time for relationship building.

• For too long, sharing and team-building activities have seemed like frosting on the cake or even a little quirky like summer camp activities- good for us, but only in limited quantities. Providing agenda priority to care for one another or connection time outside of meetings is still not valued sufficiently. 

• All leaders need to make sure they routinely plan to provide space in considerate ways based on the varying personalities of team members to care and know one another.

 √ Action steps:  

Engage the services of a company like WorkHuman or devise a system to recognize employees in life events they are experiencing- births, illness, deaths, family concerns and celebrations.  

Plan time with a simple check-in question at the beginning of each meeting for each member to be heard. Listening translates into caring and caring promotes teamwork, which enhances work culture for success.  

Join me as I host, Angie Bastian,

Founder of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP in a 4 June webinar at 11 AM ET.

To learn how to successfully lead

FROM CRISIS TO THE NEW NORMAL