Manage Your Way to Workforce Productivity During COVID-19
DRD ADVISORS, LLC
As COVID-19 continues to spread and threaten the stability of the global workforce, it is becoming increasingly clear that the greatest test it poses is psychological. In fact, we are likening this process of adjustment to that of dealing with grief. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swiss-American psychiatrist renowned for her seminal research on grief, delineates its five stages in her breakthrough, timeless book, On Death and Dying. The stages she explores are as follows:
1. Denial: In this beginning stage, individuals feel numb and in shock. Their reality has not yet set in, which provides a short period of grace from the turbulent nature of real life.
“I feel healthy and everyone around me looks healthy. It can’t be as bad as the news says it is – at least not in my office or in my neighborhood. I bet it is going to end in a week or two so I don’t think I need to change much in my normal routine.”
2. Anger: Individuals attach anger to a certain person or circumstance they view as precipitating their situation. This focused anger anchors them and gives structure to their emotions.
“Who are they kidding, I cannot work from my home for a month. Do they know how small my apartment is! And how in the world am I supposed to be productive or even focus on work under these conditions!”
3. Bargaining: In the bargaining stage, people reflect on their behaviors and approach their current options from a negotiating stance.
“I have been working from home for over a week now and while it hasn’t been easy, I made the best of it. I know my co-workers are feeling the same so maybe we can reward ourselves and plan to meet up at the office or if it is closed, at the park around the corner from the office. Afterall, we know each other really well and have been washing our hands all the time now.”
4. Depression: During this stage, individuals become immensely saddened as their grief settles in more deeply.
“This is never going to end. I can’t do this anymore. How much longer is this going to last. I am so tired of working from home, staring at my computer. I feel lethargic and all I do is eat because I get so bored at times.
5. Acceptance: Individuals ultimately recognize their new reality, and begin the process of trying to live normally.
“I am really getting a lot of work done and my manager has been telling me how good of a job I am doing. I also have been getting to collaborate and interact with my co-workers in a way that we never did at work because we were always so busy traveling or in our own work areas. Not only that, now that I am back in my daily routine of working out in the morning before I sit down to log in to work, I actually am finding this isn’t so bad – I don’t have to deal with traffic or that headache of a commute. Plus, now that my kids are in a routine as well, I get to see them all the time during the day when I take short breaks from work. It’s funny to say, and I know it is not going to last forever, but this has actually been a nice change from the way work has been for so many years and I am feeling productive!”
While entering the Acceptance Stage is the ultimate goal, it is oftentimes a challenging path and rarely a direct one as people can get stuck or move back and forth between stages. We have found this to be amplified by the rapid loss of normalcy, structure, and social contact during this remarkable time. To limit the volatility, here are some concrete steps managers and employees can take so that they can experience healthy adjustment and move into the productive Acceptance Stage as soon as possible:
Take Control: Workers are currently facing unprecedented uncertainty with regards to their personal careers, businesses, and livelihoods. During times of ambiguity, it is natural to try to regain a sense of control. Behaviors like frantically searching the internet in an effort to educate oneself, repeatedly playing out hypothetical situations, and dwelling on worst case scenarios are psychological attempts to regain control of a highly unpredictable situation. However, research has shown that these actions actually have the opposite effect since they drain individuals of energy and put them more on edge. Although it may be difficult, it is crucial to take control of the situation rather than letting it control you.
Emotions are Contagious: Despite the physical distance separating people working from their respective homes, advanced technological means of communication can still create a unique sense of proximity and, when used properly, make co-workers feel closer rather than further apart. This said, employees must realize that the sentiments they emote are still palpable, despite the physical distance between them and their co-workers. Not only that, but the articles they choose to forward, their choice of language, and the mood they convey affect the emotional states of others now more than ever. This is the case because increased isolation gives people more time to ruminate about others’ actions. Managers especially should be careful to convey a sense of calm to inspire confidence, and should encourage employees to refrain from sending potentially panic-inducing material to their peers. Remember, emotions are contagious.
Importance of Structure and Boundaries: Right now, every manager, every leader, every executive is in the spotlight and your workforce is waiting to see how you handle yourself…and believe us when we say that they will remember it once this all blows over. You have a unique opportunity in the coming weeks to create that reality for them. In order to be the leader you want to be, we recommend you send out behavioral expectations and guidelines for how to work optimally in this uncertain environment. More specifically, here are six management tips you can implement immediately with your workforce to help them navigate to and land safely into the Acceptance Stage:
Establish daily check-ins
Keep the time consistent each week to provide structure and routine.
Use video conferencing tools
Leverage video-conferencing tools so they are the norm. This will help employees stay engaged with you and each other. For most people, it will be awkward at first but we have found that people are adjusting pretty quickly if it is used appropriately and consistently.
Create opportunities for remote social interaction
Dedicate some time before meetings for small talk, emotional connection and normalization so people do not feel “alone” or that their experience is unique.
Provide encouragement and support
Check in frequently just to see how employees are doing and listen to their concerns. You probably don’t have the answers, but you can make them feel heard which will help them deal with their anxiety and fears.
Telling an employee things like: That’s life, Just deal with it or I don’t know what to tell you, is not only not helpful, but it is destructive.
Instead try saying something like, “I understand how you feel. We are all going through the same thing. You are not alone. It is going to be challenging but we will make it through this together.”
Model Leadership Skills
Keep your own anxieties in check and display confidence in the face of adversity.
Over-communicate with employees and tell them the facts rather than focusing on speculation.
Set the Example
Show your employees ways you (and the company) are using adversity as an opportunity for personal and professional growth.
While the sudden change of work habits and routine due to these extenuating circumstances has plunged many Americans into states of grief, it is crucial to recognize that there are actionable steps workers, managers and leaders can take to help with the transition into the new immediate reality. By accepting your situation, understanding the infectious nature of your own emotions, and committing to structure and boundaries, you can help your workforce move away from grieving the loss of the old ways and instead move into being productive in the new ways.