1. Check in. Create opportunities where you meet your teams and check in with how they're doing. This is more than talking about work, it is about connecting with them as a human, what is happening in their life and how are they truly. Do they need support with anything that week?
2. Actively listen. When you're in communication, focus on the person, not the task. Don’t make your employees or team an object of the productivity. Really listen to what they're sharing with you and show empathy. Listen behind their words, listen to their body language, their tone of voice, their silences.
3. Create time. You have to create time to connect with your team. If you believe you don’t have time to connect with your team, then know your business is heading down the gutter. It won't survive and certainly won't thrive! This is key to creating loyal and motivated teams.
4. Self-care hour. Give your staff an hour a week within their working hours to do something for them. This could be time for them to go for a walk, exercise, make a delicious meal - something that will support their wellbeing. And encourage it!
5. Offer healthy practices. Work from home culture has made people less mobile and in their bodies so having walking meetings or creating space to get people off their screens is so important. E.g. Your weekly catch up at 9am could be done whilst on a brisk walk or give them opportunities to attend external workshops.
6. Create more joy. This is one of our favourites. Celebrate your teams successes and learnings, acknowledge them and create fun together. Be creative - going to the pub is not everyones fun! What can you do to create fun together?
7. Human connection. Lea_p no longer have an office so instead we meet up once a week elsewhere so we can connect and work together. With the team that now live abroad, we do so monthly. If you have a big team, maybe break it up in smaller bubbles to meet or have monthly breakfasts or lunches.