Life and what it throws at us affect everyone. There can sometimes be a life crisis such as the death of a friend or family member, family members falling ill, divorce, domestic violence, or many other crises that can occur. As a leader, you must know how to support an employee going through a life crisis while also managing productivity and the business’s needs. This can be challenging if the employee is affected for a lengthy period.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world in many ways and has changed how the world used to think. People are more concerned and careful regarding their decisions and how they manage themselves in a crisis. The pandemic has altered meetings, studying, traveling, eating, shopping, and working. It is a fact that people must work to earn a living. Many employees cannot survive without working even for a month or two. Workplaces themselves also require a workforce and generally cannot bear employees’ expenses if they do not work. Here are five ways you can help and manage your employees when they are dealing with a crisis.
Make Yourself Available
An employee dealing with a crisis might be embarrassed or overwhelmed, causing them to be continuously late or miss targeted deadlines. Often a leader’s first challenge is to identify the warning signs that an employee is going through a difficult time. As a leader, you should maintain a good relationship with your employees to be tuned in enough to notice when something is wrong. You should maintain an environment of compassion and a safe place for employees to open up if something difficult is going on in their lives. If you maintain this work environment, it is more likely that an employee will come to you if something is wrong.
Listen and Offer Solicited Counsel
Most people going through a crisis can look for someone to listen to speak about it. In many cases, they are not looking for advice or suggestions but rather an ear to listen to them. They may be looking for a sounding board or a safe place to talk about feelings. This open talk can be hard for them, especially if dealing with domestic issues and divorce. These subjects are deeply personal and can be scary to talk about, especially to a leader.
You can offer advice or suggestions only if the employee asks for it, otherwise only be there to listen and provide solutions to work while dealing with the crisis. You may need to offer the employee some temporary time off or away from a challenging position to give them the time they need to be fully productive.
Prioritize Health
Remember that your company or business is nothing without people to staff it and make it productive. Though it is a combination of your employees, clients, and stakeholders that keep a company functioning, if anyone on the staff is not functioning properly, it is better to give them the time to come back healthy and strong. Therefore, you have to consider things a bit selflessly. Your employee’s health should be the highest priority and can sometimes leave productivity suffering for the time it takes to get back to normal.
A leader has to think multidimensionally and requires a strategy for employees who cannot work remotely or have to be on the field at any cost. In these circumstances, it is difficult for the leader to decide how to handle these employees. Both physical and mental health is of the most important in your company, so all decisions moving forward should be based on everyone’s health first and productivity second.
Check Work Performance
During a time of crisis, it is still suggested you keep up with the employee’s performance. You also should be aware of where they are in the processing of the crisis. Employees will appreciate the check-ins and be more willing to be open about progress if you check performance and needs periodically.
Consider Workload
When it comes to an employee in crisis, the workload can be huge in how they work through the crisis. If an employee can function enough to take on a lighter workload rather than completely off, this will be ideal for both the employee and the business. If other team members are willing and able to take on some of the employee’s projects, this could be a viable solution until they are back on their feet full time.
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