Little Dog, Big Leadership Lessons
Little Dog, Big Leadership Lessons!
Even with all its disruption and inconvenience, this pandemic does have positive aspects; innovation that we as HR leaders have been attempting to support for years, like expanded work from home and flexible scheduling, will now be standard to job roles. Also, those of us working from home full time have had the opportunity to spend more time with our loved ones. For better or worse, we will always remember this time as one where life slowed us down and helped us remember more of the important things.
During my pandemic experience, our 12-year-old chihuahua has come down with a severe heart condition. He is now on medication twice daily and loves spending time right next to me during the day. I am thankful that I can have this time with him, for as long as he has left.
Over the last 7 months, since I am home all day, he has trained me to add an extra walk to his schedule at 11 AM. Previously his schedule was to walk at 7 AM, 4 PM, and 10 PM. But now, at precisely 10:55 AM he sits up, looks at me and whines, telling me it is time to get ready. I am usually trying to fit this 15-minute walk around the block in between zoom calls.
While we are walking, he is usually up ahead sniffing and paying attention to neighbors walking on the sidewalk. Sometimes he barks at passing cars and chases them as they drive by. I am focused on getting through the walk and back to work.
After a while, I will notice that he is walking a bit behind, slowing his pace, and eventually his leash will go taught behind me. When I look back, he is sitting in the grass waiting for me. When I walk back to him, he will roll over so I can rub his tummy. Then I pick him up and carry him for a bit so he can have a rest.
You see his condition enlarges his heart, causing it to beat faster to keep up, draining his energy and laboring his breathing. So even though he specifically requested this walk around the block, he sometimes needs a break. After carrying him for a few minutes he indicates he wants to get back down and trot home.
This makes me think about my leadership during this pandemic:
Where am I still marching toward my goal, not noticing that my team member is slowing down, walking a bit behind?
What does my team need from me, and how can I read their signals?
Whose heart is beating too fast, maybe with anxiety over everything continuously changing?
Whose heart is heavy, perhaps with worry?
Whose energy is drained, and needs a bit of time to recover?
Who needs to be carried for a while?
Of course, we do not want leaders to physically pick up team members and carry them, or to rub anyone’s tummy--there are policies about that, and I would need to write another article! But as leaders during a pandemic, we need to be more intentional about how we connect with our team members and understand their needs. Here are some ideas that can help:
Be consistent about connecting with team members collectively and individually. People need to feel cared for especially now, and in this case consistency equals caring. Set up regular meetings and stick to them as much as possible.
Repurpose parts of your meetings with team members to focus on personal connection. If you normally use this time for work or project updates, find another way to do those updates. Connection with people is what is most important now.
Be flexible about timelines and deliverables where possible. Especially now, the team may need some flexibility as they navigate their new (ish) work from home situation. Sometimes it may be necessary to shift work around to others as personal needs arise.
Be curious and show compassion for everyone’s situation. There never was such a thing as work-life balance before, and now our reality is full blown work-life collision! People are navigating things that have never existed before like multi-generational households, home schooling, working from home, and potential health and mental-health issues. We need to negotiate our work and life now, and to accomplish that, we need compassion.
Check in with yourself about your own needs. You are a team member too, so do not forget to take care of yourself first. You cannot help anyone if you are depleted yourself. Plus being honest and transparent with your team about your needs shows trust and build safety.