Show Before Tell
In the wake of coronavirus, leaders are asking their teams to adjust to new sanitation practices, PP&E policies, social distancing protocols and service flow procedures. Practices, policies, protocols and procedures – four “Ps” which can be toxic to an organization’s culture and employee satisfaction. Before we ask more of our employees, we have to give them more, by embodying servant leadership, opening a dialogue with our teams and seizing opportunities to connect with them. We have to show before we tell.
First, let’s bridge the gap between creating the four “Ps” and implementing their practice. The organizational changes resulting from COVID-19 require our employees to be more versatile, flexible, and resilient. To understand how servant leadership can fuel these changes, recall the old adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” Initiate change by being its driving force, demonstrating all of the new standards you expect employees to meet. Rather than telling employees to do something, invite them to do it with you. Embracing servant leadership will lessen loss of morale and employee satisfaction by showing your employees you don’t consider yourself “above” anything you’ve asked them to do. This practice can even unify your team as you actively demonstrate that regardless of each person’s specific job or position, you are all in this together.
The next step to detoxify the four “Ps” is to communicate to your team that they have an important role in the conversation. If we want employees to be invested in these changes, they need to have a role in shaping them. This is a huge opportunity for us to open a dialogue with our teams and reconnect them to the purpose of our organizations. Instead of “From now on, we will… [follow all of these rules,]” consider the following: “Let’s start with this and work as a team to develop these practices into effective measures that protect the health and experience of our team and our customers. I know these are some big adjustments, but it’s important to me that you enjoy coming to work and are passionate about what we do here. What are your thoughts?”
It’s not enough to say we want employee feedback; we must actively seek it. If we neglect opportunities to connect anytime we are “busy,” when would we connect with our teams? Observe the new “Ps” in action and ask specific questions. “Is it difficult to count the change with these gloves on?” or “How are customers reacting to this?” Better yet, embody servant leadership by jumping into the operation and experiencing it for yourself. This will help you to understand what your team is going through and prepare you to start conversations with employees at every level of your organization. As your employees are sanitizing the counters, grab a rag, join in, and start a discussion.
It is our responsibility as leaders to make the connection between our teams understanding changes and being inspired to implement them. We need to stay aware of our role in brewing that motivation at the top. Before we ask for more from our teams, let’s demand more from ourselves. Demonstrate the “Ps” you expect your employees to, embrace opportunities for connection and open the dialogue. Show before tell.
