How to motivate your employees in these uncertain times?
Invitation for tylko & Daftcode’s free webinar for leaders
At Daftcode we put people first, and that’s the foundation beneath every company from our portfolio. Over these 2 months of the lockdown, there have been many articles about home office, about rules of remote work, about coming back to office spaces, about self care, well being, etc. At the upcoming free webinar “Jak motywować zespoły w trudnych czasach? Webinar dla liderów” (held in Polish) we want to offer a different, psychological angle and focus on managers, team leaders, and other C-levels. It’s for all those who have responsibility for people, for results, for risk management, who take care of business continuity and are under enormous pressure.
The topic will be discussed in detail this Thursday, May 14th, 4:30 PM via Zoom.
Just to give you a glimpse, Marta Borkowska, People Manager at tylko and our speaker, presents three main challenges for managers right now and the ways to overcome them.
Problem 1: I’m not able to control what my people do during the home office
The good news is: people do not need your control, instead, give them focus. Dear managers, be sure that you know and understand priorities every day so that you can provide them to your people. These days focus is crucial, so instead of controlling, make sure your team knows what’s the most important thing to do. If you do not know, ask your manager. If you do not have a superior person in your organization — you have to know the priorities. Do not start delegating anything before you know what’s important and what’s not. When your team understands what’s important, they will do everything they can to achieve the results.
It is not enough to give the most important tasks first, you also need to know the criteria of success. Employees need to be sure how they can tell that their job is done and it’s done well. Once it’s in place, they will work very hard to achieve it. Under one condition: you will let them do the things they should do in a way they want to do. If they prefer to get up early and then take care of their families — let them do that. If they prefer to work late in the evening and during the night — as long as they achieve the desired effects, there is nothing wrong about that. Just decide with them how long during the day they should be available for consultation or what virtual meetings they really need to attend. And leave the rest to them.
Problem 2: My people feel down and they do not have the energy to work
First, let’s acknowledge that the situation is obviously difficult for everybody. So the fact that your team might be depressed and low in energy is normal, healthy, and assures you that they assess the situation properly. You can help them feel better, feel motivated and energized, but that will not change the situation itself — the virus will still be here. So do not expect miracles to happen and do not demand from your people’s inadequate behavior. They work on priorities and achieve results (see no 1), you do not need those smiles on their faces all the time, they have every right to feel down sometimes.
Motivation will also come when you notice and appreciate their effort. Make sure you tell them whenever you see that they are engaged and they are doing their best — a simple “thank you” can do wonders. What your team does not need is panic, so try not to use affectioned words like: “panic”, “tragedy”, “crisis”. People already have high levels of adrenaline and cortisol, they do not need more.
Problem 3: My team has so many various problems — trying to solve all of them is overwhelming
These days, many leaders feel increased responsibility for their people and it’s overwhelming. It’s obvious that you cannot attend to all of the problems your employees might have and — for sure — you cannot solve all of them. What you can do is to regularly check with them 1:1 to see what they are most struggling with, to show your emotional support, to help them find solutions and sometimes simply listen.
And one more thing: while you make a list of priorities and desired effects, appreciate results and effort and support your employees emotionally, do not forget to recharge your own batteries. Eat healthy, sleep well, walk/run/ride a bicycle/do yoga or any other type of physical activity, work hard and then have a good rest, be close to the people you love — just remember that your strength and wellbeing is also a resource, so use it wisely.
If you want to listen about the tools for motivating your team during difficult times, join us on Thursday’s webinar (held by our guest Marta Borkowska in Polish). All the details are in the Facebook event: >>here<<
See you there! 👇👇👇
