GOODBYE 2020 AND HELLO 2021
7 INSIGHTS TO KICKSTART YOUR YEAR
1. WE'RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER
The pandemic affected almost every person on the planet and disrupted every business, every institution, every government and every life. We were all in it together, whoever and wherever, and we still are. Will the global impact of Covid-19 have forever changed how we communicate, cooperate and collaborate around the world, and if it has, as leaders and managers, how do we respond to that? What new skills do we need that will enable us to be successful in a more inclusive, diverse and dispersed workplace than ever before.
2. WE'RE NOT QUITE SO COSY ANYMORE
For all the talk of leading and managing through change before the pandemic, we were still operating, by comparison, in reasonably stable conditions. Covid-19 permeated everything we took for granted. Where once we could afford to take our time (or put off) preparing for a future world, now we must respond with urgency. For leaders and managers, Covid-19 has ‘removed the blinkers’ and given them the vision and impetus to put change-leadership, agility, and innovation at the front and centre.
3. WE WANT TO BE HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER
Covid-19 has been the key culprit in dramatic and traumatic changes in many people’s lives. It’s rare for people to emerge from such personal crises without having reflected on what’s truly important to them. The pandemic has stirred up feelings and emotions around issues of health, happiness, connection, purpose and meaning and we can expect to see a greater expectation - demand - from employees for workplaces that prioritise health and happiness. The way in which we respond and the employee experiences that we cultivate will play a big role in attraction and retention of talent in the future.
4. WE CAN BE JUST AS PRODUCTIVE FROM HOME
One of the lessons we’ve learned from the nationwide and local lockdowns is that lots of us can work from home and be just as productive. While some home working situations are less than ideal and not for everyone, for others the increased flexibility and work-life balance is undeniable. As we bounce back from this crisis, some people won’t return to their office-based desks while others will continue to juggle a mix of home and office working in hybrid teams. Learning to manage these hybrid teams will be a new challenge for most leaders and managers and being able to communicate effectively with more complex teams will determine how productive people will continue to be.
5. WE REALISED TRUST WAS THE SECRET TO SUCCESS
With more people working from home, the level of trust between managers and employees was immediately put to the test. Those managers who tried to cling to control will have suffered substantial blows to relationships, motivation and morale, and ultimately performance. But leaders and managers who quickly realised they could get more from their teams through empowering and enabling them, without unnecessary scrutiny and supervision, will have prevailed. There’s no place for command and control in a post-Covid situation. Coaching as a leadership style is here to stay and there’s a new urgency for leaders and managers to develop their coaching skills so that they can drive up engagement and deliver high performance after a very tough year.
6. WE'RE MORE INCLINED TO EMBRACE A DIGITAL WORLD
Technology has enabled everyone to keep going during the pandemic and even the most technologically naive of us has had to quickly develop brand new skills. This crash course in technology helped people to embrace the challenges of a digital world and become less fearful of it. This has transformed the way we work, the way we communicate and what we are capable of achieving. Now, leaders and managers must act swiftly in order to capitalise on this advantage by learning how to manage, coach, collaborate and motivate their digital savvy teams in an environment of trust and belonging.
7. WE LIKE BEING WITH COLLEAGUES MORE THAN WE THOUGHT
Lockdown was the first time many of us had been apart from our colleagues for more than our annual two-week holiday when, frankly, it was nice to get away from it all. Being in lockdown was a different experience altogether. Over time, we missed the real-life interaction with our colleagues and we began to develop a greater appreciation of the value we gain from collaborating, innovating, and simply passing the time of day with the people around us. Harnessing this desire for togetherness regardless of where colleagues are working will be a crucial factor in how well leaders and managers can build high performing and cohesive hybrid teams.
It’s time to say goodbye 2020 and hello 2021.
Oh how we longed for 2020 to finally be over, well, now it is and it’s time for us to start getting excited about the year ahead of us, whatever it has in store for us. We’ve proven that we’re stronger, more resilient and more adaptable than we thought.
Moving forward 2021 is our opportunity for transformation, to become better leaders and managers, and to reimagine what we do and, crucially, HOW we do it.
Join us and let's make 2021 a really awesome year that we’ll remember for all the right reasons.
For more like this...
