Human – about and being

Hello All,

Welcome to July! The first six months of this year have been incredible – both incredibly bad and incredibly good. Amazingly this includes UFOs (I told Bob I think the pictures were released to give us a different thing to think about other than the pandemic!)  and a Saharan dust storm (reported as the worst in 50 years). Plus we have already had four named storms in the first month of hurricane season. I am not sure even the best novelists could have created a novel with this many plot twists!

We will be navigating this “next” normal for some time to come. (I use the word next because something is always changing in our world, so it is about what is next!) As leaders, this will present both challenges and opportunities. Because our responses will be about our most valuable resources – our human resources – and also about being human!

So what does it take to effectively lead during this time? When asked this question for the July-August 2020 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Chuck Robbins of Cisco Systems said “People want to see leaders being human. I have reiterated to our team: This is the time for leadership, not management. Be calm, have realistic optimism, and show up and be visible.” He is spot on! These are crazy times, and we don’t have all of the answers. It is okay to say “I don’t know”…..followed by “I will keep you informed.” It is not okay to run around with your hair on fire – it only incites panic, or worse, a lack of trust in your leadership skills. Being visible is the single most critical thing. People don’t know if you will show up for them in normal circumstances if you don’t show up for them when it is anything but normal!

Another thing that will be critical in this next normal is to support your team. This pandemic has literally impacted every person on the globe – I cannot even think of another thing in my lifetime that has touched this many people in such profound ways. From the frontline workers who have borne the brunt of the heavy lifting – to those who stayed home and were separated from family and friends – to those who became instant educators – to those who had this virus and survived – and to those who lost family and friends – each of us has been touched. Each of us has coped to the best of our ability, which means  each of us has had bad and good days. Think about it, each of us has suffered grief and loss on some level.

So as a leader, you must think about this. Some employees will be angry. Others will be sad. Others will be quiet. Many are exhausted. Check in and check on them. Ask “How are you doing today?” – and then listen to the answer! Ask “How can I support you? If the answer is something within your power, then provide it. (You will find that just knowing the employee has your support is just what he/she needed.) And don’t forget to check in on yourself! You need to be okay too in order to help others.

Someone asked me one time about what were the most important elements that I considered when making business decisions. For me, there have only been three elements – our customers (no matter what you call them, customers, patients, family, owners), the staff that creates/delivers the service(s) and safety. I have always found that if you kept these three critical elements at the forefront of your decisions, then 99.9% of the time you will make the best decisions that support them…..and the company you work for. If you have staff that care and are committed, then you have customers that equally care and are committed.  And all of that starts with a leader who cares and is committed.

It is all about the humans.

Phyl

P.S. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! Have a safe and happy weekend!