On today’s podcast, we interview Bert Sarkkinen, founder and owner of Arrow Timber Framing. Inside this episode, he shares with us that the secret to creating committed virtual teams is to embrace humility in leadership. As leaders practice humility, they’ll place a greater emphasis on listening rather than speaking and be more open to experimenting.
Have you given up on your goals and dreams this year?
If there’s one overall mood that’s being felt through this pandemic, it’s the mood of resignation.
People are tired, people are defeated, people have been up against so many barriers this year that they’re just ready to turn the calendar in December and chock 2020 up as a loss.
But I say, DON’T GIVE UP!
You can turn it around, and as a leader, the action you should be taking is Celebrating. In fact, if you dedicated this last quarter to celebrate with your team, you’d be surprised at the amount of progress you can make in the last three months.
The pandemic has caused fear, uncertainty, and isolation, and Stephen shares that the only way to find solutions in this unprecedented time is to learn how to ask the right questions.
Learn how to engage remote employees with Anne Maltese.
In a recent study of workplace engagement, Quantum Workplace studied 1.2 million employees and contrasted engagement scores from March-May 2019 with engagement scores from March-May 2020.
This is what they found:
· Engagement Scores SPIKED from 2019 to 2020.
· Employees enjoyed the dramatic growth in effective communication.
· Employees enjoyed managers who are demonstrating care for their well-being.
· Employees like working from home.
· Employees enjoy greater levels of clarity.
One of the takeaways is that distance has provided the following:
· Greater necessity for transparency from leaders.
· Greater necessity for visibility by all co-workers into what you are working on, and how you are doing.
· Greater necessity to feel trusted by managers and the company.
After remote work began last spring, leaders faced a new insecurity around the c-word, (commitment.) Is my team just at home napping? Are they going to stay committed at home with all of these distractions? How are they going to balance their commitments?
How can I help build commitment on this remote team?
In fact, building commitment looks different in the work-from-home environment versus the in-office environment. Your team is now in a different work setting, and so they need to take on a newer and higher level of commitment for them to succeed in this environment. They have to be proactive in commitment behaviors such as creating an optimal at-home work environment and routine, and none of this comes easy. So let’s talk about three things leaders can do to help build commitment on their teams.
Improv is taught by leading executive training companies because it gives leaders the skills they need today. Learn about how improv teaches assertive leadership
