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5 top tips for navigating the restart

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5 top tips for navigating the restart
Published: June 17, 2020
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The pandemic hit us hard physically, emotionally and financially. Now we’re heading back to work in a world that is demanding we rebuild our organisations to be more than they were before: more sustainable, more inclusive and equitable, more agile.

Here are our five top tips for leading an effective restart... 

Humanity first How people coped with the crisis has huge variability. Acknowledge this and accommodate it. Create an environment that helps team members feel psychologically safe – where they feel included and free to contribute to, learn from, and challenge the group.

Humanity first How people coped with the crisis has huge variability. Acknowledge this and accommodate it. Create an environment that helps team members feel psychologically safe – where they feel included and free to contribute to, learn from, and challenge the group.

Be honest and transparent Don’t sugarcoat the challenges ahead. Open a dialogue for everyone to engage in articulating and understanding what is needed. The chance to accomplish difficult things reignites purpose and creates shared determination.

Offer hope and guidance Engage teams in collective visioning of a positive future and remind them of all the resources and capabilities they possess to achieve it. Ensure access to the internal and external stakeholders that need to help shape the future.

Give permission to innovate Our experiences of lockdown and virtual life mean that everyone has had insights about how things could be done differently – don’t waste them. Lead and encourage robust retrospectives that uncover and apply learning gathered from successes and failures.
 

Decide how to be together Not just the new procedures, but what individuals need from each other so the team can be a source of strength for all members as we rebuild. Collectively agree to team structures and processes that will support continued growth, performance, and emotional trust.

For more on reboarding your team for the post-covid return to work, take a look at the playbook for post Covid-19 team development.