By Iain Smith, Women in Transport Board Member and Principal Consultant and Founder at Network for Skills
1 - Make sure they know you are there for them
At the moment, as people start getting used to the new way of working, it's helpful to set up a call with your team every morning.
This should have two main objectives:
A well-being check-in, giving everyone the chance to hear each other, say hi and share any news or concerns they may have.
A chance for them to hear from you on what is happening, both around the current situation and on any relevant business updates.
Provide as much information as you can, but do not be afraid to say if you can’t answer all of the questions your team may have – you can always drop them an email a little later when you have sought clarification.
2 - Be clear on priorities and outputs
Make sure everyone in your team is clear on what is expected of them and is supported to be able to achieve this.
Be clear on how the outputs will be measured and agree this together.
Make sure you give regular feedback, highlighting any positives so people know they’re doing a good job.
Be available for one-to-one coaching conversations to help individuals work through any issues they may have.
3 - Be a coaching manager
Make sure your team know they can come to you if they have a problem or get stuck. Sometimes these things can be harder to work though when you are on your own.
As their manager, you can encourage and support them using thinking questions so they can work through issues and come up with the solution. Some examples of this could include:
Why do you think this is a problem?
Who else do you think might be able to help you?
What do you think a good result would look like?
4 - Watch out for loneliness
Some people will find it harder to be alone, so make sure you find time for small talk.
Don’t be afraid to ask people how they are feeling or how they are coping
A regular 20-minute check-in with each of your direct reports will really benefit them.
Using a video call to catch up has the added benefit of allowing you to pick up on non-verbal clues that you might miss from a call alone.
5 - Help people to switch off
In the current situation, people may be working different hours and working patterns in order to manage personal responsibilities while delivering their work.
It's important that people still have boundaries between their work and home lives and that the lines do not become blurred.
You can help prevent this by raising it during your one-to-one conversations. If your team members are finding it difficult to manage, support them to plan their time and working hours more effectively.
Annual membership of Women in Transport is £60 per year providing access to monthly events including unique site visits, professional development and networking opportunities. We very much welcome guest blogs from our members - a great way to share the incredible diversity of opportunity in transport, raise your profile and connect with our community.
Follow us @transportwm on Twitter, on Linkedin at Women in Transport and at @transportwmn on Instagram for events, news and updates.
