As the leader of a business, you are always looking for ways that you can push towards that next level, but the last eighteen months have left a lot of us feeling like we have been either flailing for a solution or battening down the hatches. Now, things are starting to look a little brighter out there. There may still be plenty of causes for concern, but with lockdown restrictions lifted and places of work reopened, there is a renewed sense of confidence. We have seen that we can weather the worst. This is the time for all of us to start thinking about how we can take a positive step and move forward, to be at our best.
Of course, that can be easier said than done. Most of us have been working ourselves to the point of burnout and beyond during the course of the pandemic, and we have pushed our business’ resources to the limit, too. It seems unlikely that the key to levelling up is going to come about just by saying that you’re going to work harder, just as it seems unlikely that you are suddenly going to come into a lot of extra money that you can throw around.
One of the most important things to remember, however, is that your business and your employees are full of untapped potential. The key to being a great manager is knowing how to unlock it. Here are a few ways that you can use what you already have to keep your business flourishing.
Get Ready For A Deep Dive
There are a lot of managers and leaders out there who will do anything to avoid conducting a deep dive audit into their business’ performance. That is not just because they do not want to see all the ways that things may have gone wrong and all the missed opportunities. It’s because some people see looking back as a waste of time when their focus needs to be on moving forward.
Well, there’s that old saying that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and that feels extremely relevant these days when there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. Yes, taking a look back at how your business and your employees performed since March 2020 will highlight mistakes that need to be avoided in future, but it will also show you avenues that should be explored. You’ll see how your staff rose to challenges, how spur of the moment quick fixes could be implemented long term, and how old expenses can be jettisoned to free up resources for new ideas.
Keep Pushing Education
The issues arising from the pandemic have been so all-consuming that it can feel like some of the big problems in the marketplace right now have come out of nowhere. This is clearly not the case, whether that’s the shortage of workers in Britain or the extreme weather events that are happening around the globe. These disruptive events have been foreseen for some time by industry experts, and that is why education for leaders and for employees is so crucial.
Training your staff in the technology, software and ideas that are driving business change will not only give your business the edge, but it will also help them to feel appreciated and empowered to take on new challenges. Not to mention the fact that it could help you with those aforementioned worker shortages. For leaders, a leadership and change course can help you to understand how you can use the resources that you already have to prepare for those major changes and ensure minimal disruption as your business adapts.
Keep Those Lines Of Communication Open
When we all started working from home, a funny thing happened. On the one hand, it felt like everyone was cut off from each other and we were all suddenly isolated. On the other, we saw just how important communication was to keep our businesses running and our employees happy and healthy, and we made a bigger push than ever before to keep talking to each other. As we move forward into something more closely resembling the old normal, we cannot afford to let that slip.
In some ways, it is going to be tougher than ever as businesses experiment with a hybrid of remote working and in-office working. If you want to make sure that new ideas can be fostered and brought to life, you need to ensure that they are given room to do so. Make sure that you continue to talk to your teams, and that they are talking to each other. It’s not just about coming up with new strategies. It’s about making sure that we are looking after each other. Mental health has been one of the toughest things to deal with during the pandemic, and hybrid working will bring its own challenges. We need to remind the people that we work with that we are still there to support them. Unlocking your business’ potential is about looking after the people who work there.
Unlock Your Employees’ (And Your Business’) Potential With These Steps
