Put Your Team First

Scott Hall

The COVID-19 pandemic, and now high inflation have changed the business world and 2022 was a year of transition. The daily news roundup brings us a selection of the latest news and updates on the pandemic, vaccinations, and variants. How do we handle this continual change and uncertainty? What is happening to our relationships with our suppliers, customers, employees, and fellow management team members?

Whether we like it or not, we are all in this together. What should we do?

One of, if not the most important priorities is to – Put Your Team First.

No doubt, we have learned a lot about our employees during the past 20 months.  Probably more than we ever thought we would. Now what?

1. Continue to Listen – Serve our teams by listening intently to them and understanding what they are saying.
2. Be Empathetic – Understand our employees’ intentions and perspectives.
3. Be Self-aware – Look at ourselves, think about our behaviors, and consider how they affect the team.
4. Conceptualize – Look beyond the day-to-day realities of today and dream great dreams. Motivate the employees to achieve more distant goals.
5. Show Stewardship – Take responsibility for the actions and performance of the team. Lead by example by demonstrating the values and behaviors we want to see in them.
6. Commit to Their Growth – Find out what their personal goals are, and see if we can help them achieve them.
7. Build Community – We must provide opportunities for our employees to interact with one another across the company, including social events and non-work-related conversations.

We have an opportunity to improve each employee’s experience during this time of transition. It is important for them as individuals and team members, and important for our customers and suppliers. Setting a course focused on employee experiences will create a meaningful impact now, and earn us all rewards well into the future.