culture

Remember when...

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

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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