You’re lucky if you can finally get back to regular operations instead of asking your employees to work from home. Sure, it’s possible to keep things going, but it’s not easy when everyone works remotely. The problem is that despite going back to your regular operations, the overall mood at work is still bad. The pandemic is still happening, and employees find it hard to smile. As a team leader, you have to find a way to change the atmosphere. These tips are useful in lightening the situation and giving your employees a reason to smile.
Extend deadlines
You don’t need to work as hard as you used to especially if you scaled your operations down. You can’t operate at the same size, given that you no longer have the same number of customers. As such, it makes sense if you try to relax your rules in the office. Extend the deadlines if possible. Don’t make your employees feel overworked. Even if they were working at home over the past months, it doesn’t mean they got plenty of rest. If anything, things became more difficult for them. Telling them that they have more time to get things done is welcome news.
Leave notes
A simple note on the desk of your employees is enough to make them smile. It shows that you notice the hard work in the job. You can leave these notes when you think your employees did something that deserves commendation. A simple thank you would suffice in some instances. Given the negativity of social media and the news cycle in general, receiving a positive word can make anyone smile.
Be more open
Before, you were strict on determining who can go into your office to talk to you. Even your employees had to make an appointment if they wanted to have a word with you. It’s time to change that culture and open your doors to anyone who wants to speak with you. Sure, you still have plenty of things to do, but a few minutes to talk to your employees won’t hurt. Some of them might come to you for personal issues or work-related problems. Be willing to share your thoughts or give advice.
Promise a fun activity
It’s been a while since you last had anything fun at work. You cancelled all your plans because of the pandemic. Tell your employees that if things start to get better, you will have fun activities. You can travel to a distant location together. You may also host a fairground hire and allow family members to join in. These activities might not happen soon, but you’re giving everyone something to look forward to. It’s enough to make people smile.
Change your attitude
You can’t expect your employees to feel glad about work if you don’t share the same feelings. If the gloomy atmosphere starts on top, everything else will follow. Try your best to keep a positive spirit and inspire everyone to do the same.
This crisis will eventually be over, and we have reasons to be hopeful.