The concepts of grace and compassion - for self and for those you work and live with - have increasingly come to the fore over the last several weeks. I apply that assessment and reality to myself as well as to my clients and their organizations. Working with a variety of leaders and organizations, I have had a bit of a ring side seat to see how the COVID-19 - and related/unrelated economic impacts - have played out for their teams. Some seem to have strengthened and managed well. Others have been characterized by various levels of discord and sometimes outright conflict.
Make no mistake. The impacts we are experiencing are highly variable. Some organizations and businesses are running on the treadmill like never before. If you are in the business of personal protective equipment, supply chain management, trucking, digital technology, or foodstuffs, the bottom line may be looking quite robust and well beyond normal projections. If your business is any way related to providing personalized services like massage therapy and hairstyling or needs/has to operate with a requirement for large volume attendance, like movie theatres, the bottom has likely dropped out with concerns about short- to medium-term viability. In between all of that we have some businesses and organizations whose teams are being impacted differentially. In this case I think of the healthcare sector. Those working on direct care patient care = all hands on deck. Those with more distant affiliation to that current focus = potentially having their priorities put on ice. In other circumstances = hiring as many direct care staff as possible and/or increasing their hours. For others, it means even going so far as layoffs.
And this just relates to the varied work-related impacts. This doesn't begin to take into account the myriad home-based and personal realities that we are dealing with. And those realities are very different. We have seen negative reaction and push-back to celebrities endorsing physical distancing - as they send their video messages from their palatial homes with every amenity possible to them and grand spaces that provide opportunities to both engage with and find distance from other family members as required. We see increasing number of (hopefully isolated) protests in some urban centres seeking to end the lockdowns. We've seen the rush on toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and weapons all based on fear of "what if". The impacts for individuals are as varied as their circumstances - young or old, single or married, with kids or no kids, being in the same city as extended family or not, remaining employed or not, having a financial cushion or not, having somebody in a care facility or not, having access to technology (e.g., FaceTime) or not.
Then there are your own personal resilience reserves. Like it or not, those reserves are pretty much what we had when we entered this particular fray. They are a function of our life experience prior to all of this, how much adversity we have previously experienced, how centred we are (e.g., understanding our own values and life purpose), how connected we have been to others (e.g., did we/do we have a support network), our self-care practices, and our perspective on the world and ourselves (e.g., do we see ourselves as victims of fate or creators of our own destiny). I certainly believe there are things we can do in this time to support our resilience, but it’s a bit more challenging to enhance resilience if we feel under duress than in other less stressful times.
What does this all have to do with Grace and Compassion? Clearly these are not normal times. As a leader you are going to have to find a way to navigate these times for yourself AND for your team. First, understand and OWN this reality. Maybe you believe you are navigating these rough waters quite well. I would encourage you to challenge that belief or assumption. Objectively evaluate your current capacity. These are not normal times. Even this honest exercise may demonstrate a degree of courage, honesty, and vulnerability that might be beneficial to the teams you lead.
What can you do for your teams right now to provide them with the necessary grace and compassion through this crisis and help them have grace and compassion for each other? Several opportunities come to mind:
Recognize the differential impact that may be playing out for your team members. This may be a function of their life circumstances (e.g., married, kids, caring for elderly parents, etc.), a function of other personal capacities and experiences, or even their ability/capacity to work virtually or not as now being required. A one-size approach to leading them is not appropriate, nor would a "buck-up" mentality be helpful. Situational leadership writ large!
Reinforce that everyone is trying to do their best under trying circumstances. Under stress, we all do things that are not necessarily our normal or best behavior. We might be physically, emotionally, or mentally exhausted. We may have a "straw that broke the camel's back" moment. Help your team to give each other the benefit of the doubt and provide space to calm the waters. Be present with each other at this time.
Confirm and clarify priorities. Right now there is an increased chance for confusion as information mixes with rumor about what the next phase of the crisis response may have to look like. Focus, clarity and succinct communication has never been more important. Don't overwhelm your team with data and speculation. Keep it simple Simon (KISS). Less is likely more right now, particularly if people on your team are feeling overwhelmed or not quite on their game.
Provide an appropriate forum for them to share their challenges AND their potential solutions. Even this simple opportunity to connect and share experiences can be a powerful tool to support connection and instill some sense of control for each of them. While our mind can be a dangerous neighborhood to go into alone, the opportunity to know that they need not be isolated can perhaps shed some cobwebs for all.
Maintain presence and connection. This is important at all times but perhaps even more so with physical distancing requirements and being in crisis mode. The greatest value in this will be in using virtual opportunities to not just conduct business, but also demonstrate sincere empathy and recognition for the work being done by your team. If you can model that leadership, empathy and recognition, you can set the tone for how your team shows up for each other.
Demonstrate confidence in your team, empower them, and enable them. There may be an increased temptation to micro-manage every detail of crisis management right now. However, if you have been clear on priorities and engaged in good communication, the need to take over should be mitigated. Allow your team to be meaningfully engaged and even appropriately distracted by their work right now. That simple act alone may help them manage through.
Manage the pace. In many cases right now you might be feeling you need to run at a sprint pace. Unfortunately, you are engaged in a marathon distance (or ultra-marathon). The sprint pace is not sustainable. You will have to find the courage to slow yourself down, and slow your team down, if you want to remain effective and functional over the next number of weeks or months.
We are going to get through this. The question is how much stronger or weaker we will arrive on the other side. How many of our people will still be with us in body or spirit once the current crisis passes? The answer to that question will likely relate to how much grace and compassion we have shown for each other and ourselves.
And that IS about leadership!
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Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
President & Founder - BreakPoint Solutions
gregh@breakpoint.solutions
www.breakpoint.solutions
780-250-2543