The COVID-19 pandemic is something that every one of us never prepared for. It all took us by surprise, and many struggled to cope with the challenges it brought. Employees were caught between resigning and the fear of unemployment. On the other hand, employers were at a loss on how they can help employees stay productive despite the challenges.
As months went by and strategies to control the effects of the virus are placed, organizations are still struggling to reintegrate employees into the workplace. Although remote arrangements are practiced, some tasks require physical presence to be completed. Amid these uncertainties, how can you focus on your tasks, be fully engaged and productive? Here are some ways to help keep up employees’ productivity amid the COVID 19 crisis.
Focus on Priorities
The current situation calls for versatility and flexibility in the conduct of our tasks. Employees should have one more minor issue on their minds to focus more on getting their work done. The location should not matter. What’s important is how they’d tackle their work and produce the output expected from them. Set realistic priorities and help reduce employee’s stress or burnout.
Bolster Communication
Strong communication is crucial in the success of a remote workforce, which includes top lead generation companies. In fact, these kinds of industries flourished during the pandemic because companies and to look for creative ways to find new markets for their businesses. When traditional stores had to be shuttered, they needed to know where their audience was.
Leaders should explore communication tools such as Trello, Zoom, Basecamp, or Slack. Utilize these tools with balance and efficacy to enhance working relationships in the organization.
Implement New Approaches
Because of the changes happening around us, business owners and managers must also learn to adopt new approaches in the workforce. Although employees are rarely in the same office anymore, there is still a chance for you to foster mutually beneficial relationships. Make remote work more humane or social. Have informal meetings to reconnect, do-checklist, or update. The rigid approaches we used to have might not work well in today’s current situations.
Have a Clear Set of Expectations
As business owners and managers, you have to be clear with your expectations from your employees and be there to set shared goals for your team. At this time, your employees should also clearly understand how their work will be measured. It helps them see how they can be productive while working remotely. In setting goals, welcome questions and inputs to have a better work arrangement that is beneficial for everyone.
Acknowledge Difficulties and Challenges
To better improve productivity and efficiency during these crises, the first step is to be honest about the challenges and be responsible for our actions. Ditch the alibis so that you can really hack productivity and get your work done. Leaders and managers should lead by example and be consistent in offering respectful openness about the job at hand. Create solutions together to overcome what keeps your team from working productively.
Use Stress as a Motivation
Observe your employees and the kind of stress they experience. Sometimes, pressure can be used to motivate people to stimulate a better work performance and maintain focus. If it gets too overwhelming, pause and allows some breather. Take up the topmost priorities, and if needed, reset expectations. Focus on your team’s strengths instead of looking at their weaknesses.
Let Empathy Prevail
With the forced remote work arrangement, be open about flexible location, schedule, and dress code. Many people feel pressured about working from home. Integrated into this setup are other life commitments such as distance learning for the kids and family responsibilities. Showing empathy, and knowing what each employee must be going through this crisis, will help improve your unique work culture.
Reinforce Resources and Available Benefits
There is no denying that this crisis has brought stress for everyone around the world. And stress has a significant impact on your team’s productivity. Help them out by reinforcing the benefits that they can avail themselves of during this time. If you have telemedicine offers and employee assistance plans, inform them about these available resources and support that they can use. Knowing that resources can help ease the challenges of remote work can motivate employees and focus on their tasks better.
The COVID-19 pandemic shook even the most stable company. Despite a strong workplace culture, the impact of the crisis can leave your people feeling scared, isolated, and overwhelmed. Find out how your team stands against these challenges so that you can adapt to these changing needs appropriately.
As your organization moves to the “new normal” and implements remote work arrangements, make sure that you have established strategies that will uphold your team’s standards and culture. Keep remote work human and be more empathetic to foster relationships, engagement, and productivity with your team during this difficult time.
