5 Critical Ways to Support Your Employees During a Crisis

The COVID-19 Pandemic has disrupted how work in America takes place. Employees have been hit particularly hard, having to find new ways to do their jobs and establishing a suitable home workstation.

Stress levels are high and isolation from co-workers and office routines is a real issue. During this time, it is more important than ever to think outside the box because we are dealing with something we have never dealt with before.

It will take an added layer of patience, confidence and calmness. As a leader you have to be the solid lighthouse among a sea of uncertainty. Your Employees will look to you for leadership and guidance, and you will set the tone for how your employees react.

There’s a great quote by David C. Baker that reiterates this, “Your team will remember the kind of person you were long after they remember what sort of decisions you made.” Now it is more important than ever to show your team you genuinely care about them and are looking out for their best interests.

The fastest most effective way to do this is simply to do what you are asking of your employees without creating unrealistic expectations during this time of confusion. As a leader you need to focus on building trust and competence.

One of the ways you can build trust and competence is through clearly communicating expectations, and how everyday life will be shifting. I know it has been a month of physical distancing already for most of us, but now is as good of a time as ever to reinforce the resolve on your team through clear communication. As well as vocalizing that you resonate with how they are feeling and want to equip them to do everything you are asking them to do.

Below are five quick tips that employers can use to help ease some of the burden that comes with facing an unknown crisis:

1. Schedule Mindful Pauses: Understand that employees need a break from excessive screen time. A good rule of thumb is 50-minutes on, 10 minutes off. Let them know that’s the plan you’re following, and you suggest they do something similar.

It is more important to work effectively and efficiently in the long run then put unrealistic expectations on yourself to never stop working throughout the day. In the office you would get up for coffee, to use the restroom or eat lunch. Now you are just strategically placing those break times in order to be more effective with your work.

2. Use Video Intentionally: Do not hold a video conference when a phone call will due. Expecting employees to be “camera ready” all the time adds stress to an already stressful situation. Unless you need to share screens or see one another for a specific reason, try using the phone or messaging instead.

Another great way to use video is time blocking all the video calls you do need to make on a certain day if possible or a certain time. As long as there is clear expectation of when your employees need to be camera ready it should mitigate any frustration.

I have also noticed during this time a lot of events are moving over to Zoom, which is great because you can “attend” events you wanted to go to in the past but were not able to. However, it can be a double-edged sword where now you are so distracted by Webinars and Zoom Calls you are not able to do the work that you need to and normally do.

Guard the webinars and zoom calls you allow your team to get on and that you choose to get on as the employer, setting the example.

3. Consider Providing a White Noise Machine or App: A white noise background, like the sound of steady rain or running brook, will cut down on distracting sounds from around the house and help employees focus on the task at hand. Consider providing a subscription to those who could benefit from such a service or device. You could also simply use a playlist with instrumental music.

This obviously depends on the employee, because some people need silence while others might find background noise soothing and calming. However, this does not to become a distraction either or an added expense. You can find most sounds you need for free on the internet.

4. Ease-up on the Multi-Tasking: With so many other distractions at home, not the least of which is breaking news about the pandemic, now would be a good time to promote single-task focus. Encourage employees to only openfiles related to one assignment at a time and be less concerned about multi-tasking in this hectic environment.

One of the easiest ways that I do this is through only having web browsers tabs open that all coincide with the same tasks that way your mind is not subconsciously distracted by looking at the other tabs and thinking about everything else you have to do for the day. We would all be much more productive and efficient if we simply focused on one task until it was completed.

5. Host One-on-One Check-ins: Make it a point to regularly check in with your remote employees, one-on-one (and here, video conferencing is okay). Find out how the employee is doing. Has the pandemic affected anyone they know? Are they managing to get groceries and essential services okay? Let them know you understand the unique challenges working in this environment presents, and that you’re available to help and listen as a fellow human — as well as manage work.

One of the habits of highly successful people is to seek first to understand and then to be understood. This is essential especially when you start working remotely, because your team might not prioritize what you say if they have a personal hurdle they are trying to overcome.

Yes, we want to be productive and effective during this time because despite a crisis they are still being paid to do their job. That being said notice the word: CRISIS. We are in a pandemic, experiencing things that no one could have prepared for.

During this season it is especially important to offer grace and empathy for how your employees might be dealing with the crisis differently. Some will act as if nothing has happened, while others will be more scared and concerned. You need to respond to each person however they need to be responded to.

Especially when working from home there might be the tendency for miscommunication because you are not able to explain yourself as easily as you might be able to in person. During this time of frustration be sure to extended grace, going back to seeking to understand before you seek to be understood.

Hopefully, these short quick ways to support your employees during crisis will help ease any tension you may be experiencing with employees working from home. We know everyone responds differently and is still responsible to get their jobs done but taking the extra measure to understand and communicate will only increase their trust in you as a fearless, confident and calm leader.

Be sure that you have given your employees all the tools and resources they need to succeed while working from home. At the end of the day extend yourself grace as well. We are in a pandemic and you are leading the best that you know how. Be confident that you have all you need to lead your team in a way that is life giving during this time.