A pandemic is a marathon, not a sprint.
By my count, we are rounding mile marker 16 in a 26.2 mile marathon run. Despite holiday vacations, and modified work schedules, staff and leadership are burning out. A recent survey from flexjobs.com indicates that “75% of people have experienced burnout at work, with 40% saying they’ve experienced burnout specifically during the pandemic.”
As an executive coach I see the tug-of-war play out with my clients: leadership is (and must be) focused on targets, goals and milestones, while their direct reports are struggling to be present at work, thinking through a COVID-19 fog that has descended on their brains, and childcare chaos that seems interminable.
Not a pretty scenario.
Like any good marathon runner will tell you, there are lessons to be learned along the route and I believe the silver lining in this COVID-19 experience is the opportunity, and quite frankly the urgent need, to embrace a coaching mindset with direct reports and staff. Here are three ways that you can start adding to your leadership coaching toolkit today, for the benefit of the people around you, and for your own personal growth.
1 Coaching instead of Driving
Traditionally leaders have driven their vision forward with language like goals, milestones, targets. In a COVID-19 workplace, these words can inflame anxieties anew, sending panic down the ranks of already overworked employees. And yet, as many of my clients share with me, the work still needs to get done. Adopting a coaching approach with your direct reports could sound like this:
Go with the open-ended questions. Lean into what’s “under the surface” of the resistance to setting goals. Make sure your staff are seen, heard and understood.
2 Creating Space for Meaningful Connection
Mile marker 16 in the marathon is a lonely place. Zoom calls have this built-in way of driving people to “the work” rather than “the connection.” I read a parenting article recently that advised parents to make time every day to have fun and be silly with their kids. Otherwise, all they hear is “did you do your homework?” and “when’s your next google meet?” The same applies to our (virtual) workplaces. And I don’t mean virtual drinks on Friday at 5 pm when everyone on your team would rather be offline, watching bad TV. How can you create a space for some fun engagement and integrate it into work life? Crazy Hat day? One thing you might not know about me quiz? Engage one of your gregarious employees to champion an idea and let them run with it. We all need to build snowmen!
3 Coaching as a solution-finding exercise
We’ve all heard the advice to be vulnerable with your staff. That we should tell them how we’re feeling. A coach approach can take it one step further: share with them where you’re falling down and ask them to be part of the solution. Working too many hours? Call yourself out on it and ask them to be your accountability partner. Feeling like there are too many meetings? Share your thoughts, and seek feedback on how the team can minimize, or shorten existing meetings.
People feel stuck when they don’t have options. A workplace without options leads to monotony and despair. Leveraging a coaching mindset will allow you and your team to look through different lenses, to see opportunities that you might not have seen before and to feel supported enough to try new things. And just around the corner, in your marathon, is that next water station where a cool glass of water and a warm smile is offered. And if you’re lucky, there’s a coach leaning in saying “You got this. Just a little bit further.”
Jenny Mitchell is still stuck in her house in Ottawa with two reluctant homeschoolers, a happy dog, a COVID-19 kitten and a noisy husband. Her work as an executive coaching and fundraising consultant for not-for-profit leaders continues during the pandemic and her company Chavender continues to help people do more good in the world. Email Jenny@Chavender.com to join her #fundraisingmojo community.
Cover photo by Capstone Events on Unsplash
