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How to Lead Remotely in Times of Crisis

Blog post co-written with Lauren Currie

· Leadership

Last Friday, The Courage Factory & Stride hosted our very first webinar. Over 60 of you joined me and CEO & Co-Founder of Stride, Lauren Currie to talk through leading remotely in times of crisis.

We talked through these four best practices;

SHOW COMPASSION AND EMPATHY
  • For whatever it is your team may be experiencing. Whatever they feel is okay. Whatever you feel is okay. Show up for each other, understand where they are coming from, and support however you feel comfortable or able.

  • Try this. At Stride, we are big fans of this phrases guide from Lisa Olivera. Choose a phrase and try and it use it during your week.

OVER-COMMUNICATE
  • Your team may be feeling anxious, scared, frustrated, or alone. Things are uncertain and unclear. What your team most wants from you during this time is clarity and transparency. You may not have all the answers, you don’t have to. You may also be afraid, uncertain, anxious, be honest about this with your team. Show them your humanity and let them see your vulnerable side. And keep the doors of communication open -schedule regular meetings, have video calls, create “office hours” and keep them up-to-date about any relevant or timely issues that may concern them. No matter your role in your company, you can never over-communicate. You may think you sound like a broken record but that’ll be the farthest from the truth. Keep repeating yourself until you can barely stand to hear yourself anymore. Then, keep repeating yourself!

  • Try this: Remember that not everyone has access to all the information you have. One of the main reasons why we need to over communicate is because we forget to that people don’t always have the same access to the information we do. They aren’t in the same meetings. They don’t have the same conversations. They don’t ask the same questions are you. Remember this!

  • At Stride, we have a 15 minute team meeting each morning that always begin with a Check-In.

DON’T REVERT TO “BUSINESS AS USUAL”
  • Leading your team during a crisis is not the same as leading your team day-to-day - you will need to acknowledge this, show up differently, and have different expectations of productivity & what it means to be effective. Let the team know how they can get support when they need it, what your expectations are, and give them space to voice their concerns. These are challenging times and require a different type of leadership.

  • Try this: Establish “Rules of Engagement” for how you will work together as a team remotely e.g. what does each member of the team need to feel good, what rules does the team need to have to work well together. At Stride, we use User Manuals to help us do this.

PRACTICE SELF-CARE
  • Leading during crisis requires a different level of self-care & resilience than during the rest of the year. You don’t have the same ability to recharge or reset as you would during a typical work week. It is imperative you focus on your mental and physical health to be able to show up for others. Meditate, reflect, journal, work out, take downtime - whatever it is you need to feel stable, secure, and able to support others. “Secure your own mask before helping others.”

  • Try this: Select one self-care habit that helps you feel good. Walk for 30 mins before you start your workday. Write what you’re grateful for every evening. Turn your phone off at 8PM. At Stride, we share appreciations for our team mates every Friday. We’ve already decided when we’re working in the same room together again we will have a confetti drawer, just like Swiss Miss.

SOME OF YOUR CHALLENGES WE WORKED THROUGH TOGETHER WERE:
  • In times of crisis, existing leadership challenges can often be amplified - e.g poor communication, lack of strategy and poor prioritisation. How do leaders address this or move forward in a positive way, knowing that these unresolved leadership areas of development are making this increasingly challenging time even more difficult for teams?

  • How can I make sure that new team members joining at this time feel welcome and supported and are able to contribute and feel useful as soon as possible? What might I be missing when it comes to onboarding?

  • Any tips on how to manage up? How do we make it clear to our own leader that we need to make space for this new situation?

HERE’S WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT OUR WEBINAR:
“Don’t revert to “business as usual” – I needed to hear that. Thank you, Lauren and Amanda, for an encouraging and inspiring webinar on leading remotely in times of crisis”
— Dessy Chongarova
“Great online workshop on virtual leadership in these challenging times with Stride and The Courage Factory”
— Mark Rowe
“Thanks a lot - it was lovely and informative””
— Tina Phillips
“Thank you! That was a really useful hour - a few brilliant ideas and pointers.”
— Kerry
LINKS WE PROMISED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE COMMITMENTS YOU MADE TO YOURSELF
  • 5 mins meditation on Monday before the kids wake up

  • Screens off at 22:00

  • Schedule some 'door open' times with my team

  • Ask every team member how they are every day

  • I will take a 30 minute lunch break at least 3 times a week

  • On Monday going to talk to the team about how we communicate

THANK YOU! WE APPRECIATE YOU

Thank you to every single one of you who showed up. You were a great audience. The high demand means I am offering free 20-minute consultations for how to lead virtually in a crisis. Book a slot to get expert advice on crisis leadership, leading remotely, and your remote team set up.

If you'd like to get 1:1 support with your virtual leadership book a free discovery call with me, or send me an email at amanda@couragefactory.com.

If you're interested to test Stride you can click here or get in touch with Lauren Currie at lauren@stride.inc