By Reuben Kimani
This has been a tough season for businesses all over the world. Business leaders are faced with a tough time together with their staff members. However, there is a need for leaders to continually motivate their staff members and assure them that all will be all right and that indeed there is light at the end of the tunnel. Below are some ways on how leaders can motivate their staff members during the COVID-19 season.
- Communicate often – This entails having open channels of communication where you send information, listen and respond. You can consider establishing a central point of contact for all employees and this will continually build trust amidst.
- Try as much as possible to keep your staff members connected and feeling supported in isolation – during this season some staff members may feel overwhelmed by anxiety, you can try as much as possible to be available to you Team and allow them to talk about their fears and you can reassure them about their work and the personal issues they are facing in this period that they will soon be over.
- Identify and reward outstanding work and deeds – you can consider openly appreciating those whose work is extraordinary in this season. This will encourage the other staff members to go an extra mile to help fellow colleagues and serve customers.
- Provide encouragement – in this tough season, you can ensure you encourage your staff members by sharing diverse content on various aspects such as personal life, financial life, career life and mental life.
- Encourage feedback for your Teams – There are a number of changes taking place at the workplace. Encourage your Teams to share feedback and this will make them feel listened to. This also gives them an opportunity to share ideas that can be implemented in your business during this season that will help the business remain afloat and also bounce back stronger after the pandemic.
- Exhibit optimism – during this challenging moment, exhibit optimism as a leader amidst the anxiety facing everyone. This will foster positive thinking, motivate and inspire employees to remain resilient during this season.
- Remain transparent – proactively share relevant information to your Teams and be open with them on how the pandemic has directly affected the business and what they should do in their capacity to make the situation better now and in future. Also, it is key to provide guidance on what is expected in future and the steps the business has taken and will take.
The author is the CEO, Username Investment Ltd