Published in Brainzmagazine on July 27, 2021 5 Questions To Improve Relationships And Outcomes With Your Team Post-Pandemic (brainzmagazine.com)
If you lead a team, this is the perfect time to hit the pause button and take note of how your team is responding to this change.
Below are 5 questions you can ask your team members to learn how to maneuver forward together during this transition, feeling motivated, connected, productive, and perhaps, even more successful.
ASK:
What makes you most excited and most nervous as the world transitions out of lockdown mode?
Tell me a few things you learned about yourself during the lockdown/pandemic months. What surprised you the most?
What would an ideal workday look like for you moving forward?
Identify one thing you think we as a team could start, stop and continue doing post-pandemic that will have a positive impact on the team and our outcomes?
What one behavior or action can you personally commit to that will facilitate a team environment that inspires, motivates and lifts others up to be and do their best?
LISTEN…and ACT:
Listen openly, resisting the urge to make judgments or assumptions.
Take notes and bring the team together to inspire a shared vision that represents their input to demonstrate how you see the team co-creating a successful future for your work together.
Ask each team member to share their commitments. Then, meet regularly to have them share how they are taking ownership of their roles within the team.
Lead the way: share your own personal experiences and feelings throughout the pandemic. Share your vision around opportunities to unite the team and come through this stronger together.
Be prepared to have courageous conversations with your leaders if they are pressing down on you to get back to ‘business as usual.
Meet regularly as a team and keep the team’s vision front and center as you discuss and execute on the tactical components that deliver on clear commitments.
As the saying goes, “never let a good crisis go to waste.” This volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous time is an exceptional opportunity to practice empathy, build (or rebuild) trust and establish team norms and behaviors that the team deems valuable as you all look forward together.
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