3 Tips for Supporting Leaders in Times of Transition

More and more, it’s in the news that companies are “returning to work.” And while that phrase makes sense as people are beginning to return to offices, the reality is that we never left work. Here are tips for supporting Leaders in times of transition.

Employees have been working from different places and spaces, with greater productivity, over the past 18 months.

In fact, according to studies done by Stanford, Forbes, and CBS news:

• Working from home increased productivity by more than 16%
• 41% of employees would like to have the flexibility to work from home or work from an office
• And over 52% of employees are currently experiencing burnout

We have 3 tips for you to consider as we enter into the next phase of the workforce.

First, be proactive in supporting Leaders in transition.

The fact is, organizations that proactively support employees in their transition to working remotely are more successful.

When companies pivoted to remote work in 2020, many of our clients launched In the Moment Coaching programs. These programs were designed to support Managers and Leaders through the transition to remote work.

Organizational Leaders recognized they were asking their people to completely shift how they worked.

By providing access to our In the Moment Coaching programs, these organizations experienced higher employee engagement and less workplace stress because employees had real-time support to address the challenges that were most relevant to them.

Next, be clear in expectations.

Often times, we find that Managers and Leaders struggle to be clear in their expectations of their people and teams.

This is usually caused by two challenges. One is that the Leader is unclear as to what their own expectation is, so they are unable to clearly communicate what they want. Or the Leader lacks the courage to be clear with their team around changing expectations.

As you look at what is next for your organization, consider how to provide clarity for your Managers and Leaders about the organizational expectation, and provide additional support to those Leaders as they communicate expectations to their teams.

Finally, recognize the burnout challenge.

While your organization may be asking your people and teams to return back to the office, it is critical to recognize that the employees who are walking back in are different than the ones who walked out in 2020.

Your teams have had an overburden of work and life responsibilities, possibly experienced the death of a loved one, experienced loss of a partner’s income, and more.

While it is estimated that over 52% of employees are experiencing burnout, that number skyrockets to 86% of high potential employees or Core Leaders — you know, the ones who are filling your talent pipeline and are critical to your organization’s success.

Many organizations are exploring how to continue supporting key people through ongoing transitions.

Overall, one of the most impactful things that organizations can do is recognize that the transition to “return to work” is as significant now as the transition to “work from home” was in 2020.

Wondering where to start? Support your Leaders through this transition with In the Moment Coaching! Find out more here.