{"id":3309,"date":"2020-04-13T11:08:57","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T01:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adelaideprivatewealth.com.au\/how-to-keep-your-team-productive-during-a-pandemic\/"},"modified":"2020-04-13T11:08:57","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T01:38:57","slug":"how-to-keep-your-team-productive-during-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adelaideprivatewealth.com.au\/how-to-keep-your-team-productive-during-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"How to keep your team productive during a pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Shifting work conditions can have an adverse impact on any team, let alone when a global pandemic is the cause. Here\u2019s how to keep your team operating as effectively as possible.<\/p>\n

If your business is lucky enough to be continuing as normal \u2014 or close to normal \u2014 during the COVID-19 pandemic, then you\u2019re still facing a number of challenges.<\/p>\n

One of those is making sure your team remains productive and in relatively high spirits. Working from home can make this a challenge.<\/p>\n

Of course, businesses have options like monitoring software and constant video sharing to make sure employees do the right thing. But for many business owners, that may go too far.<\/p>\n

Instead, there are plenty of less invasive methods for business owners to use in order to keep productivity moving along.<\/p>\n

These methods aren\u2019t just useful for a pandemic. Consider implementing these now so that your business emerges from the other side of this situation stronger than ever.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Help your team feel psychologically safe<\/span><\/h3>\n

This is a trying time for anyone. We aren\u2019t working as normal, we\u2019re working during a pandemic. That puts a psychological toll on anyone, which means their work will be affected. After all, COVID-19 affects everyone.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s HR team has done a lot of\u00a0research into the idea of psychological safety at work<\/a>. In essence, psychological safety means employees have the ability to speak their mind (respectfully), try new ideas, speak freely, and that they won\u2019t be punished for their mistakes.<\/p>\n

In fact, Google found their highest performing teams all had this trait in common.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the flip side, the safer team members feel with one another, the more likely they are to admit mistakes, to partner, and to take on new roles,\u201d the Google HR research found.<\/p>\n

During a pandemic, help your employees feel psychologically safe. Let them know that it\u2019s okay to feel upset, that their productivity might slip, and that they aren\u2019t at risk of being punished for simply being human.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Give your employees license to work flexibly<\/span><\/h3>\n

With employees who have children at home, it\u2019s going to be extraordinarily difficult for them to work a normal 7.5 hour day in one or two chunks.<\/p>\n

Instead, be flexible. Think about what tasks need to get done, and then allow your employees \u2013 as much as possible \u2013 to schedule their day as they need to.<\/p>\n

If they need to jump offline at 1pm and come back at 4pm, let them. If they need to get up at 7 and work until 3, let them.<\/p>\n

If that enables them to be productive and help the company moving, don\u2019t let the traditional idea of a 9-5 get in the way. After all, this isn\u2019t a traditional work environment.<\/p>\n

Conduct a working from home assessment with the team<\/span><\/h3>\n

Ideally you would do this before working from home, but an assessment will help you understand where everyone lands.<\/p>\n

For this assessment, think carefully about these questions:<\/p>\n