Over a thousand leaders were surveyed by Lynn Scott, leadership and team coach and founder of the Effortless Leader Revolution, to find out what lessons they had learned in successfully leading their remote teams during the last lockdown. There were ten key things that led to their success and these form the acronym BE SAFE and CARE.

Boundaries. How available do you want to be and when? This is not about being unapproachable it’s about meeting your own needs as well as the needs of the team. If you’re constantly fielding queries and questions then (a) you are probably doing more of the ‘doing’ than you could – at the expense of leading - and (b) you’ll find it hard to focus on your own priorities.

Evaluate what’s working well and what can we change? What did we learn from the last lockdown? Press the pause button don’t just keep going on and on. Ask the team to identify one thing they’d like to change and then get them to make it happen.

Space and time to think is key – block it out to make sure it happens. Stretch breaks help your mind, your body and your brain!

Ask what support people need and don’t assume. Also ask for the support you need and don’t assume your manager will guess. (Support means different things to different people).

Focus. One – focus on what YOU can influence and change and forget the rest. Encourage your team to do the same. Don’t waste energy on things outside your sphere of influence.

Energy – know when you have most energy and schedule the most important tasks for your high energy time whenever you can.

Check ins - How are people feeling? People will ‘be strong’ but this could hide mental health issues. Ask and more importantly LISTEN to what is being said or not said.

Appreciation. We can never do too much of that! Simple but heart felt. Start each week with that.

Rest and Recover – make it ‘okay’ to rest, to take a nap, to take a walk during the working day.

End the week well: ‘my manager ends the week with a group check-in and wants to know how you what went well and not so well. It makes me feel valued and appreciated’.

Lynn Scott says that if you focus on these ten key things you will have a productive and successful virtual lockdown.

CHECKLIST:

Be Safe and Care – 10 proven ways to lead your virtual team successfully through lockdown

1. Boundaries. How available do you want to be and when? This is not about being unapproachable it’s about meeting your own needs as well as the needs of the team. If you’re constantly fielding queries and questions then (a) you are probably doing more of the ‘doing’ than you could – at the expense of leading - and (b) you’ll find it hard to focus on your own priorities.




2. Evaluate what’s working well and what can we change? What did we learn from the last lockdown? Press the pause button don’t just keep going on and on. Ask the team to identify one thing they’d like to change and then get them to make it happen.




3. Space and time to think is key – block it out to make sure it happens. Stretch breaks help your mind, your body and your brain!




4. Ask what support people need and don’t assume. Also ask for the support you need and don’t assume your manager will guess. (Support means different things to different people).




5. Focus. One – focus on what YOU can influence and change and forget the rest. Encourage your team to do the same. Don’t waste energy on things outside your sphere of influence.




6. Energy – know when you have most energy and schedule the most important tasks for your high energy time whenever you can.




7. Check ins - How are people feeling? People will ‘be strong’ but this could hide mental health issues. Ask and more importantly LISTEN to what is being said or not said.




8. Appreciation. We can never do too much of that! Simple but heart felt. Start each week with that.




9. Rest and Recover – make it ‘okay’ to rest, to take a nap, to take a walk during the working day.




10. End the week well: ‘my manager ends the week with a group check-in and wants to know how you what went well and not so well. It makes me feel valued and appreciated’.

lynn@lynnscottcoaching.co.uk