LIFESTYLE
NO LONGER BUSINESS AS USUAL? A MINDFUL GUIDE FOR RETURNING TO THE WORKPLACE By: Chad Sorenson, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, HR Florida State Council President
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eadership has its challenges – there’s no question about it. Add in a pandemic, racial challenges across the United States, shifting public sentiment about energy production and other divisive issues that seem to lurk around every corner and leading employees becomes increasingly difficult. As the country returns to the workplace, leaders have to adapt their styles to meet these new challenges. From my perspective, there are five steps companies and their leaders can take to ensure they are set up for success in the months and years to come amid this climate of uncertainty and change.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes When employee engagement and sentiment surveys are conducted, there are often disparities between how management and employees see their relationships. An effective leader will always try to understand an employee’s point of view rather than telling them how they should respond. Understanding can come in many forms. Individual conversations, employee surveys and group discussions can each bring a different level of clarity to managers and supervisors. Each has its benefits and drawbacks. The key for any relationship is trust; employees need to trust their manager if the manager has any hope of receiving honest feedback. As James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner said in their book “Credibility,” “the more leaders and constituents comprehend each other’s perceptions, concerns, and values, the greater their ability to work together.”
Not Business as Normal Leaders who return to the workplace without taking into consideration the changing circumstances around them will likely fail, in my opinion. It’s no longer business as normal. In fact, the word “normal” is getting harder to define.
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SHALE MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE 2021
IT’S USUALLY SAID THAT AN EMPLOYEE DOESN’T LEAVE THE COMPANY; RATHER, THEY LEAVE THEIR MANAGER
