As leaders, the best thing you can do for your managers in 2023 is to develop them for the environment they currently face. We all thought we would see a return to “normal” by now – whatever that may be. We now know that a hybrid workplace is a new norm; yet, very few managers are properly trained for how to manage this new workplace. Most don’t know how to capitalize on employee strengths, much less coach them.
During these past several years, I’ve facilitated numerous leader workshops where business leaders share their concerns, as well as their best practices. Here’s what I see: Across the board, leaders who are able to move their companies forward are those who communicate clearly and often with their employees.
Since COVID-19 erupted, business leaders shared that only a handful of their employees strongly agree that their organization’s leadership communicates effectively with the organization. Perhaps the lack of communication is due to leaders avoiding saying anything for fear of saying the wrong thing.
That’s understandable, but it leaves employees uncertain about the organization’s plans and their future. Uncertainty creates anxiety, and anxiety impacts performance.
You can neutralize that with clear, ongoing communication. More words are better than less. Even if you repeat yourself, you’ll expand your influence.
Let people know you care about them, and when you can’t give solid answers to business questions, talk about your culture and goals. Communicating them establishes norms that keep your company resilient – and may even inspire performance.
