Published on January 12, 2021
For many, the news on the 5th January that the UK was to embark on another lockdown wasn’t really a surprise, however, it may have stung a little harder given the timing. Most of us were still in the glow of ‘celebrating’ seeing the back of 2020 and being a little starry-eyed at what 2021 was to bring, we are now plunged right into another period of stay at home, work at home, homeschooling and one hour exercise… and here we were thinking 2021 was ‘our year’.
Leading through an unprecedented year…
Reflecting on what we gained from managing and leading remote teams was a topic in many coaching conversations I had with our clients at the back end of last year, and mostly we can give ourselves a pat on the back. We changed, we adapted, we survived, WE DID IT!!
So, how did you manage and leads your teams through a global pandemic? What changed for you? How did you adapt?
Chances are, your leadership behaviours last year were put to the test, but have you asked your teams, peers and line managers for any specific feedback to understand the current state of relationships within your business?
Often in times of change and crisis we are so focused on getting through it and getting the job done we don’t stop and ask, ‘how am I doing’? Many organisations are currently in appraisal season, where we reflect on all our achievements and learnings from the last 12 months and set goals and objectives for the year ahead.
Is it time to look at a new way of doing 360s?
For many managers, this will be the first time that they are running appraisals remotely. The formal monthly one to one has for many been replaced with team zoom calls and informal check-ins… all valid and beneficial but for many that (face to face) hour with their boss every month was much valued and needed for personal development, feedback on performance and a chance to discuss more personal issues.
Many organisations also ask for feedback from their teams prior to appraisals, a few structured questions about the person being appraised. This year (more than most) we should be asking the right questions about how we have managed change, how we have supported wellbeing in our teams and how effective we have been at communication. We also need to be using the right tools to ensure you capture the right feedback as intuitively and easily as possible.
Our Vibe 360 feedback survey asks these questions (and more) to give you a well-rounded view of how you have performed in 2020. Now is a great time to ask your teams for some feedback on your remote leadership style. Vibe 360 is an online platform that your direct reports and peers can complete via a link, asking up to 30 questions that relate to your leadership behaviours. We then run a Teams or Zoom feedback session with a qualified Laws of Attraction coach who can take you through your 360-feedback report. Given the impact COVID-19 has had on business, we have added in a pillar that specifically relates to the COVID-19 crisis, so you can get some targeted feedback on how you’ve communicated the change, how effective your communication style has been, how supportive, engaging and available you have been whilst we have been in lockdown. Having a tool and mechanism to ask your teams how your performing as a leader is important, especially now.
Discover the benefit of 360s for your organisation
If you’re considering running 360s in 2021 we'd love to introduce you to Vibe 360; please drop me a line at stephanie@lawsofattraction.com to talk to me about how we can help you get some valuable feedback.