It’s no secret 2020 brought one of the most challenging years in recent history to the business arena and to the world in general. The losses have been staggering, and many have been playing catch up to try to acclimatize to changes that have ranged from the political to the social and everything in between. As we move into 2021 and beyond, it’s vital to adjust our systems of management to the ongoing crisis.
Rethinking Communication Methods
Many of our most deeply cherished beliefs surrounding how our companies must be run have been upended and replaced with something new. Going forward, we will have to consider the pros and cons of doing business the same way we always have. Many employees do better when they are able to balance their family obligations while still earning a living, for example.
It should be considered when managing your team that a great deal of overhead is no longer needed for staff to commute to their jobs every day, helping to ease financial burdens. In addition, they will save time generally spent driving to and from the office. There are, however, legitimate needs that your crew may have in meeting together once they are able that cannot simply be addressed through face time online. When it is safe to do so, you may come up with new means, such as renting business space periodically, so people can exchange ideas in person and enjoy the flow of back-and-forth banter.
Reassessing Technology
This has been a year for the record books, and many firms have found that their technological infrastructure was not sufficient to deal with the needs of their laborers. It is an added obstacle that much work is being down from home, so equipping individuals with the best in electronic delivery systems is an absolute must.
When running call centers, for example, it has been difficult to access managers and others readily once available from a common switchboard, and these solutions need to be incorporated for employees to get what they need. Supports that were not readily in place at the start of the pandemic but must be considered to ensure sustained productivity and to reduce workplace stress. Computer programs and telephone equipment are vital to your company, but security is also a must and should not be overlooked.
One-on-One Attention
During this time of increased isolation, many people are feeling the crunch. They lack the ability to socialize and to meet with like-minded individuals and to increase their overall potential. To this effect, it is important to not neglect the emotional needs of those who work for you. You may need to assess whether you need dedicated and qualified staff to help with this to keep your management group from overextending themselves.
Determine where your employees’ strengths and weaknesses lie and in what areas they could use some support. You may have to rebuild your culture from the ground up in certain ways to strengthen the infrastructure that equips people to do their best. Fidelman and Co. pride ourselves on offering excellent coaching that can help you take your management strategy to the next level, leveraging your human resources and maximizing output.
Avoiding Burnout
Take stock of where your employees are struggling, and don’t be afraid to have deep conversations to get to the root of issues to ensure that the mental load is not too heavy, eventually leading to the need for prolonged time off to recharge.
It is well known that freelancers and gig economy workers face heightened risk of burning out due to lack of boundaries around working hours and constant availability and that these same factors are now affecting large swaths of the workforce. Determine what parameters can be put in place to protect family time even while workers remain at home in order to make sure they have ample opportunity to relax and rest each day.