You Started Strong. Don't Let Up.

We’re all about six weeks into this pandemic. Some a little longer, some a little less. What uprooted and affected our entire world has now become what we consider normal…for now. In the beginning, when people started working virtually or rotating their shifts at work, we all tended to be more intentional about connecting with our teams. Having daily huddles, weekly (or more frequent) team meetings, happy hours, and individual check-ins. But now that some time has passed, are we really still being as intentional as we were before?

Before our lives and schedules were disrupted, managers and leaders had cadences of when they connected with their team. Simple things like monthly or bi-monthly team meetings, monthly 1:1’s, and drop-in conversations. Some managers and leaders were good at these intentional connections, others not so much.

Regardless of before or since, it is still important. It may need to evolve, or maybe it has already; but still crucial. And it will be important far into the future, regardless of whether people continue to work remotely or if they go back to their normal workspace. Intentional connection is important.

Now more than ever, it’s important to remember that we’re all still human. People were more forgiving early on. But as we’ve gotten further into this experience, people are giving a little less grace to each other. Coworkers are starting to judge each other a little more. And as leaders, it’s up to us to continue team building and trust-building. This has always been important.

“All it takes is intentional connection.”

 We’re starting to see the signs of that “honeymoon phase” ending. It’s important to remind people that we all have good intentions, and sometimes we need to look through the eyes of others. Are they struggling with managing small children, feeling cooped up inside, while also working? Is something they’re working on being interrupted by multiple people instant messaging them? Maybe they were late to a scheduled meeting; is it possible they were on a call with someone and just couldn’t get away for other reasons? Or maybe they weren’t able to attend a meeting, and now have questions that have already been answered. Help them. Don’t judge.

We don’t know when this season will end…or what it will even look like. And when things are ambiguous or uncertain, people fill the space with fear, doubt, or self-limiting thoughts. We, as leaders, need to make sure the space is instead filled with faith, confidence, and tolerance. We need to be intentional. Continue to keep people informed about what’s going on with the business; whether there are changes or not. Keep people focused on goals and expectations. Work to identify and remove barriers, and celebrate the wins – big or small. All it takes is intentional connection.