One of the things we are hearing from clients is the impact Covid continues to have on the workplace. From staff preferring to work from home and the challenges this creates with connection, teamwork and engagement to the increased anxieties the uncertainty has perpetuated for each individual.
We all have our own personal beliefs, needs and goals. So how do we align as a team so everyone moves in the same direction towards a common goal and while doing that create certainty to alleviate stress?
A good place to start is having a clear company vision and set of values. It is a great way to ensure focus. At Grace Team our values were agreed to by the team and written clearly for all see. Here's one of our key statements:
To us relationships matter; Our clients are the Lifeblood of our business and our people are the heart and soul. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and believe we are as much problem solvers as we are accountants.
But actualising this set of values into everyday culture is the challenge when there is increased pressures and distance we’ve never had to face before. We’re quite real about it, it’s a challenge. But we’re facing into it and working hard together as a team to overcome this and ensure we remain relationship focussed and problem solvers whether we’re working from the office or from home.
Three key takeouts we’ve learnt during the process are:
Leadership
Pay attention to both the tasks that need doing and the people who do them. If you neglect either aspect, things will start going wrong for you and your team. For example, you might have a strong instinct for processes, deadlines and accuracy. But you might adopt an authoritarian, “produce-or-perish” style of leadership, and risk losing your best people or de-motivating them.
Setting goals
Working with purpose helps you understand what you’re trying to achieve and why, and hence helps with focus. If you know you’re an important cog in the wheel you’re more likely to appreciate the importance and need for getting your job done on time. This has a positive impact for yourself and others which builds energy and maximises workflow.
Workflow
Ensuring key tasks are set out clearly, delegated and set with realistic timeframes.
Using a workflow or project management system is a definite asset in that you can see the pressure points ahead of time which will help alleviate stress and keep a sense of calm.
It also helps your team to tick off the key tasks and feel a sense of achievement.