Leaders continue to face daunting challenges like high turnover rates and employee burnout. Discover 3 proven ways for leaders to improve their company culture and keep top performers happy.
In this post-pandemic workforce era where “The Great Resignation” and rumors of a looming recession speckle every other LinkedIn article, managing high-powered teams riddled with their own chronic stress and burnout, among many other things—feels like a Herculean task.
It doesn’t help that during a crisis, employees look to the strongest leader—one who is able to maintain their composure and lead them through the treacherous terrain of global supply chain issues to a Corporate America Utopia that exists somewhere between a food truck and a completely overhauled company culture where top performers aren’t running for the hills.
In other words, being an exceptional leader in these unprecedented times feels next to impossible. It’s hard to lead a team when the leader is feeling less than hopeful about the future and struggling to grasp onto their own purpose and place within the organization.
But before you throw in the towel and succumb to your own overwhelming to-do list (where leadership has directed you to “do less with more” in the same casual tone your spouse would ask you to get the mail), there are some actionable steps every leader can take to drastically improve the current state and intentionally build a top-performing team, even with the odds stacked against them. Here are 3 ways to build a top-performing team during these extraordinary times.
3 Ways to Build Top-Performing Teams in a Post-Pandemic Workforce
1. Be a leader people want to follow.
According to a recent survey, the number one reason people are leaving the workforce is due to experiences with uncaring leaders. As the old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The kind of leaders retaining top talent demonstrate a sincere interest in their employees—their safety and wellbeing. Become the type of leader people want to follow by:
Learning about your employees’ ambitions, interests, and hobbies
Taking the time to learn the names of your employees’ spouse, kids, and pets
Remembering their birthdays, work anniversaries, and other important dates (FYI: your employees are hoping to be acknowledged on Administrative Professionals Day, no matter what any blog or influencer tells you)
Recognizing the hard work your employees put in. Go beyond a thank-you email and send them a Starbucks gift card or surprise them with free lunch. Incentives, especially unwittingly, go a long way to build loyalty with your top performers.
2. Show sincere interest in your team’s personal and professional development.
Another reason top talent is racing out of that revolving door is because they want leadership to invest in their development—that is, their future within the company. In fact, employees who pursue professional development in their careers tend to have higher productivity and job satisfaction—so it’s a win-win for both of you! Without these opportunities, you can bet your highest-performing team member is spending more time on Indeed than on their work responsibilities. Show genuine interest in your employees’ development by:
Affirming their strengths and what sets them apart from their peers. And don’t be shy: Share with the employee the value their unique skill set brings to the company and how you as a leader believe they can continue to be a valuable asset to the team and the organization in the future.
Offer leadership and other development courses for your team. But don’t let it end there. Map out a future trajectory that is aligned with your employees’ aspirations and the company’s needs.
Don’t mistake training for development: Training fills a current gap whereas development is an investment into the employee and their future within the company.
Remember that the end goal for any employee wishing for more robust development opportunities is not only to expand their expertise, but to earn more money. If you are doing your part as a leader to develop your team who in turn is increasing in skills, knowledge, and experience, you’ll want to consider raising their pay (and not just during annual merit increase time). Otherwise, they are working harder and expanding their skill set for the same wages and not to be the bearer of bad news, but with the current talent war, it’s only a matter of time before a recruiter sees their potential and pays them what they are worth—at a company other than yours.
3. Show up authentically.
A recent study on the impact of authenticity in the workplace found that authenticity is the secret weapon to current workplace challenges. In fact, nearly 90% of employees believe authenticity in the workplace is more critical than ever with only 16% of participants reporting they work for a company where authenticity is practiced. The bottom line? Employees are not only desperate to be themselves at work but they crave authentic leaders. Why? Authenticity among teams creates trust, followership, and employee retention. Be the kind of leader people want to follow by showing up authentically for your team. That can look like:
Owning up to and being unafraid to share your own mistakes with your team
Starting a team group chat where you only post funny memes and inspirational content
Support your employees’ work-life balance, which may look different to each employee
Be more relatable to your team by sharing personal stories such as how you overcame a personal challenge.
One thing is for sure: no leader has it easy today. The increased demand for employee flexibility coupled with reduced budgets amid skyrocketing inflation can make any leader want to jump ship.
By putting these three things into practice, you can play a pivotal role in improving team morale and output that lasts far beyond the rapidly rising gas prices.
Get Empowered for Impact
If you are struggling to find your footing as a leader in the post-pandemic workforce or want to reach peak performance as a forward-thinking leader in Corporate America today, ExecTrek™ can help.
Discover how to zero in on behaviors that can impact business and propel you forward. From communication and time management to decision-making and image optics, RC3 Partners provides transformational Executive Coaching to leaders seeking their competitive edge. Contact us today to learn more.
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