Top tips for bosses to help lead their teams out of the pandemic with empathy and care

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BEING the boss right now isn’t easy.

You may be battling to save your business, reassuring staff too worried to come into work or having to let cherished staff go due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Learn how to navigate change and be a leading boss in this 'new normal' with our expert's advice — Learn how to navigate change and be a leading boss in this ‘new normal’ with our expert’s advice Credit: Getty Images – Getty

If you’re a manager, how can you help your teams through the coming months?

New research reveals 95 per cent of top bosses plan to overhaul their leadership style post-pandemic, with “empathy and care for teams” their new key focus.

Leadership expert Charlie Coode, of Coode Associates, says: “The pandemic has made many top bosses realise how vital it is to put the humanity back into leadership.”

Here are Charlie’s top tips.

Leadership expert Charlie Coode, of Coode Associates, gives you his top tips on how to manage change if you are a boss Credit: ANNIE ARMITAGE 2012

Show empathy when making difficult decisions. Everyone will be handling the crisis differently. Spend more time than usual listening to your team and ensuring that you answer their concerns — and keep doing it.
Act quickly. Don’t postpone what you know you must do. If you dither, time will quickly become your enemy.
Build confidence in your team. Set out a clear direction for the business but stay flexible on how you will succeed. The situation will change.
Take a long view. Don’t sacrifice customer loyalty and the structures needed to thrive post-crisis for the short-term actions necessary for survival.
Ramp up communication. Connect with your team in order to create a shared focus. This is the “glue” for them to effectively manage throughout the crisis.
Stay close to your customers. In a crisis, it’s easy to neglect your customers. But how you behave now will set the tone for your relationship in the years ahead.
Look after yourself too! Sleep, exercise, good diet and connecting with loved ones are all vital for leaders to be effective. You must make looking after yourself a priority. It may sound selfish, but it’s not — it’s absolutely essential.

HOW TO HANDLE LAYOFFS

ONE in four firms expects to make staff redundant due to Covid, but if the tasks falls to you, how should you handle it?

Dominic Atkinson of careers platform Stay Nimble believes it is possible to better support staff through redundancy. He says: “With the coming months set to be incredibly challenging, organisations need to rethink how they handle redundancies for the sake of their business and the individual.”

Here are his top tips . . .

Ensure clear and tactful communication. Redundancy can be a new experience for many people and disorientating. From the moment the consultation is announced, be clear on the process that will take place, and ensure the support offered is understood.

Where possible, provide workshops and coaching sessions to help your staff find new roles, or signpost them to where they can get this support elsewhere. Provide it for as long as it is needed.

We all respond differently to redundancy. Some are resilient but others may need counselling. As an employer, you are vital in helping staff build confidence to find a new job.

Learn from other trailblazing organisations. Research how they handled redundancies and what worked well for them.

THE CE-REAL DEAL

Cereal giant Kellogg’s UK is hiring apprentices to be a part of their commercial teamsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

HERE’S a cereal-sly good opportunity. Kellogg’s UK is hiring two apprentices to work at its Manchester HQ.

It is the first time the cereal giant has offered head office apprenticeships and trainees will get three years’ hands-on experience in commercial teams including sales, marketing and supply chain.

Chris Jones, Kellogg’s HR director UK & Ireland, said: “This is a great opportunity to get experience with the UK’s favourite breakfast brand – gaining invaluable qualifications along the way.”

To apply, send an interactive digital CV, video or traditional paper CV and cover letter to MediaCity.Apprenticeships@kellogg.com by the end of today.

CREATE A SPLASH

Get creative to break into the industry by tuning in to the new Lookout Creative Careers podcastCredit: Getty Images – Getty

WANT to break in to the creative industry?

Then tune in to the new Lookout Creative Careers podcast.

The weekly series is aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds and features advice from leading experts on what it’s like to be a record label boss, a film director or a theatre producer.