2 July 2020

Managing your workforce out of lockdown webinar series:Engaging employees while leaving lockdown

Presented by Noelle Murphy

Speakers

Noelle MurphyHost

XpertHR

Victoria LewisCEO

byrne·dean

Today

• Employee engagement – the position so far …..• What will it look like next and why is it so challenging?• What’s your role?• Three key dynamics to consider• Some possible scenarios• Building inclusion through everyday interactions • Focus on the employee experience – new sense of purpose

4

You (remotely)

Relaxed into the new normal

What people have told us

5

• Operationally - pride in adaptability and flexibility

• Different set up at home - isolation, children, the elderly, sickness and bereavements

• Engagement - peaks and troughs

• Mental health issues - yours and others

• Guilt

• Inconsistent skills / EQ levels amongst managers and influencers

• Increased collaboration and connection - a sense that we must not lose the benefits

Psychological safety

• Confidence the team won’t embarrass, reject or punish them for speaking up

• Climate of safety in which they can be themselves

• Built on mutual respect and trust: how do we maintain that now?

What will it look like next?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Self-actualisation eg creative pursuits, purpose

Esteem eg self-esteem, recognition

Love and belonging eg friendship, intimacy, connection

Safety needs eg employment, health, property

Physiological needs eg air, water, food

What’s your / leaders’ role?

• Continue to build trust and keep listening to understand

• Open and compassionate leadership

• Reassurance and reliability

• Supporting wellbeing and mental health – warning signs

• Motivating teams – maintaining high performance

• Maintaining values-based commitments – inclusion and psychological safety

• Keep checking in

Three key dynamics

The importance of emotion in the cycle

How I’m managed/

treated

How I act and perform

How I feelHow I’m perceived

How I’m managed/

treated

How I act and perform

How I feelHow I’m perceived

Destructive Cycle

What the leader sees

What the person sees

How I’m managed/

treated

How I actand perform

How I feelHow I’m perceived

Building trust in your shadow

© b y r n e • d e a n

Intent

Impact

©byrne·dean 2020

How issues develop

External scrutinyIssue begins Point of no

return

Formal process and damage limitation

Highest potential for informal conflict

resolution

So just what do we mean by “return to work”?

Please watch the video of this presentation

Building inclusion through everyday interactions

• What if you were in the lift?

• How would you feel?

• What would you say / do? What would that depend upon?

• What might other people see in your reaction?

• How will that conference call go (that you are late for)?

• How would you feel the next time you see Terry?

OK? Not OK?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Completely okay

Completely not okay

Says or does the thing

Negative impact

Is aware but is neutral / positive

Actor

Receiver

Observer

Which role has the most influence?

What do you want them to do?

Actor

Receiver

Observer

Actor

Receiver

Observer

Let’s start with the actor?

Considerate, self-aware, focused on their impact

apologise?

What about a receiver?

Actor

Receiver

Observer

Considerate, self-aware, focused on their impact

apologise?

Know there’s a path, look for support. Don’t assume negative

intent

EAP

HR

Actor

Receiver

Observer

Considerate, self-aware, focused on their impact

apologise?

Know there’s a path, look for support. Don’t assume negative

intent

EAP

HR

Actor

Receiver

Observer What about the observer?

What about these?

On a video call – Max and Samara are both back in the office (socially distancing) Tina and Frank are dialing in WFH. Max says he thinks people are now just overreacting to the whole covid thing. It has been blown out of all proportion. He’s glad to get back to the office. [Tina is home shielding; she lost her mother to covid-19 early on in the pandemic.]

Gina is making a coffee and chatting with Anton. He asks her what she thinks of the Black Lives Matter movement and whether she thinks it’s going to change things for her in the organisation.

Janet is late for the daily check in call for the third time in a row and does not apologise or announce her arrival.

Actor

Receiver

Considerate, self-aware, focused on their impact

apologise?

Know there’s a path, look for support. Don’t assume negative

intent

EAP

HR

HRActive, considerate, care! How can we best resolve?

(consent?)

Trusted peer

Observer

Actor

Receiver

Considerate, self-aware, focused on their impact

apologise?

Know there’s a path, look for support. Don’t assume negative

intent

EAP

HR

HRActive, considerate, care! How can we best resolve?

(consent?)

Trusted peer

Observer

HR

Boss(defensive!)

Learn

• Listen non-judgmentally (listen to understand)

• Encourage self-help

• Assess risk

• Reassure (to the extent you can)

• Next steps

Look to the future : a new sense of purpose

• Transparency – employees are looking for leadership themselves

• Create a cultural conversation

• Honour the past and embrace the new ways of working

• Keep linking changes / strategy to purpose

• Frequent listening tools – “cross the line”

• Nuanced approach that recognises and supports different ways of working

• Focus on the employee experience

Any questions?

30

Speakers

Noelle MurphyHost

XpertHR

Victoria LewisCEO

byrne·dean

Resources

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• XpertHR's resources on the coronavirus

• Coronavirus and your workforce podcast: Engaging with employees

• Returning to work: Eight challenges identified by HR professionals• XpertHR on-demand webinars