Remember when we were talking about open workspaces, kombucha on tap and free employee meals?

Remember when we thought it would keep employees engaged and foster a more contemporary culture?

Remember when we thought collaboration was all about being together in the same space? …so you could have impromptu hallway meetings and solve the world’s problems?

I do, kind of.

But that is in the rearview mirror.

Here is what I remember.

I remember in the beginning of March, we thought … it’s just 2 weeks.
I remember when we got to Spring Break— and all parents took a collective sigh of relief when they could take a break from homeschooling.
I remember when it was finally April… but it still wasn’t an April Fools Joke.
I remember when I learned I had friends battling Covid.
I remember when I found out via Facebook that my old manager lost her mother to Covid.
I remember driving around looking for clorox wipes, but since there were none to be found, I bought ice cream instead.
I remember getting a text from another HR friend who had her first employee pass away.
I remember the wedding my friend had to postpone; and the babies that have been born that I haven’t been able to visit and shower with hugs and gifts.
I remember my friends celebrating their 1-year-old’s birthday on zoom; I am now planning for my own baby’s June socially distanced birthday.

The world has changed and will keep shifting beneath our feet. It’s unsettling.

The culture you have cultivated as a leader will determine how your organization emerges from this.

NOW is the time to double down on TRUST and TRANSPARENCY.

Here’s how.

You hired people for a reason … let them do their jobs.
Listen more than you speak. Ask questions.
Get comfortable with making decisions with imperfect data. It is ok to admit that.
Ask for help, so you inherently give others permission to do the same.
Understand what people are afraid of. (yes, where there is anger/ frustration, there is usually fear of something) If you don’t know, you can’t help.
You need to tell people what you are afraid of — not to spark panic, but to share in the experience of vulnerability with your team.

Finally, you have to be honest with yourself. If this trust & transparency thing runs counter to how you have always operated— then let this day be a new day.

Let people know that you’re ready to move forward and be a different kind of leader.

And did I mention — don’t forget to ask for help.

Be safe and stay well,

Jean