The Center for Creative Leadership identified 6 leading challenges for mid to senior level leaders around the world.  One identified challenge is Inspiring Others, which the Center for Creative Leadership defines as “the challenge of inspiring or motivating others to ensure they’re satisfied with their jobs and working smarter.”

Yesterday, I worked with a senior leader, Ann* who has been feeling frustrated with one of her direct reports, Jeff*, a mid-level manager. It appears they have been struggling to communicate effectively since the outbreak of Covid-19 and the pivot to working from home. Ann also shared that Jeff hasn’t been producing the quality work and innovative ideas she typically sees from him.

Take Time to Understand Why

When Ann and I started to examine the challenge and dig deep for the root cause for why she was feeling frustrated with Jeff, Ann was a bit stunned. I took the time to get curious with Ann, ask questions and challenge her perspectives. What resulted was Ann’s ability to realize she had not taken the time to get curious with Jeff to understand why their communication had been impacted over the past couple of months, and why his behavior and performance were not what she was used to.

As Ann and I explored, the challenge of inspiring others came up. Jeff had been a very satisfied employee up until recently. He loved his job, and for the most part, has always performed above expectations. When I asked Ann if she had checked in with Jeff to see how he is, both personally and professionally, Ann realized she had not done so. She realized she had been jumping to conclusions about Jeff’s behavior, which added more significantly to her frustration with Jeff.

Connect Beyond Just Work

As a leader, if you want to connect with, inspire others and keep them interested and committed to their job and their organization, it’s important to not just focus on the work, but to connect on a personal level and lead with compassion. Especially during these very difficult times, where most of us are facing new fears, new challenges, possible isolation, and a host of other changes due to the pandemic, we need to spend the time letting our colleagues know that we care about them personally and are available to provide them with the support that they need.

A Conversation Can Open Up A Meaningful Dialogue

Ann realized she needed to have a conversation with Jeff. She plans to apply coaching skills such as getting curious and asking open-ended questions to allow for a meaningful, open discussion. Similarly, she recognizes the importance of showing compassion and offering Jeff a safe space so that he can feel free to open up about his concerns and real issues to allow change to start to take place. Ann also plans to remind Jeff that she values him as a person and values what he brings to the organization. She hopes to collaboratively explore what could be possible in this new way of working so he can feel inspired and move forward as his productive and innovative self.

What changes, if any, have you noticed in your direct reports since the outbreak of Covid-19? What have you done to understand these changes, especially if they have impacted your relationship with your direct report, or the work they are contributing to your team and organization?

If you are interested in having your leaders, or if you personally would like to learn how to lead with coaching skills, let’s connect.

“Good leadership isn’t about advancing yourself. It’s about advancing your team.” John C Maxwell

*Names are not real to protect the confidentiality I grant to my clients.