Six Strategies for Sustaining Team Engagement During Rapid Change

Consider the events of 2020 thus far: a global pandemic, a widespread shift to remote work, families juggling virtual learning alongside their professional duties, economic uncertainties, and an international human rights movement. Regardless of how these circumstances have individually impacted your team, it's undeniable that they have collectively faced significant challenges. In such times, can you blame your team if their focus occasionally drifts away from work?

For revenue teams, 2020 has introduced a host of unique challenges. Sales and marketing professionals are accustomed to face-to-face interactions, travel, and in-person events. While numerous industries and organizations continue to experience growth during these times, our way of life, as we knew it in 2019, has changed – quite possibly for the long term.

Nonetheless, life and work must persist. As a growth team leader, you cannot shield your team from life's uncertainties, whether they originate internally within your organization or externally. However, impactful and influential leaders can guide their teams in identifying what truly matters and setting aside everything else. The most exceptional teams are guided by leaders who embody these six principles when navigating the storm of uncertainty:

1. Be Human. Above all, prioritize empathy. Recognize that team members may have been directly affected by the pandemic, facing family challenges, or struggling with remote work demands. Show them that you understand their struggles on a human level before assuming your role as their leader. Acknowledging each person's difficulties is the most significant step any leader can take right now.

2. Be Flexible. Especially in sales, leaders must wholeheartedly acknowledge that meeting or exceeding targets may be challenging. That's okay. If deals are scarce, there are numerous other ways your team can make valuable contributions. Consider conducting customer interviews, investing in training, and implementing new tools to enhance productivity and readiness for future opportunities.

3. Be Positive While you accept the aspects beyond your control, it's crucial to maintain a positive outlook. Focus on the silver linings, such as spending more time with family or pursuing personal interests. Encourage your team to identify the positive aspects of their lives. No one can entirely control external events, but they can control their responses.

4. Be a Role Model. If you expect your team to engage in video calls, lead by example and turn on your video first. If you desire increased communication, initiate it yourself. To build genuine relationships with your team, demonstrate vulnerability first. In times of crisis, leaders set the tone more than ever before.

5. Be Decisive. Leaders bear significant responsibilities during crises, requiring a deliberate and composed approach. McKinsey refers to it as the "pause-assess-anticipate-act" cycle, involving a systematic decision-making process rather than impulsive reactions. It's essential to demonstrate how to gather information, consider alternatives, and rally the team behind the chosen path. In uncertain times, the decision-making process is more critical than the decision itself, shaping the organization's decision-making culture and long-term success.

6. Be Open. Many leaders claim an open-door policy, but few genuinely embody it. If your team isn't forthcoming with questions and concerns, it may indicate underlying issues. To foster open communication, schedule one-on-one time with team members, send personal notes, ask specific questions, and embrace transparency—even when you lack immediate answers to their queries.