Doug Mitchell, Founder and Leader, Next Generation Radio: “Everyone needs someone else to talk with who isn’t the boss. I find it vital to keeping people engaged and moving. … The work is important, but to have a fully-functioning team that consistently produces and STAYS, leaders need to be thinking of the things that keep people coming back to work, besides the work.”
Brittany Hite, Newsroom Project Manager, Los Angeles Times: “Encouraging people to take time off (and modeling that behavior by doing so yourself) is really important. Even though many of us may not have anywhere to go or much to do in the vein of a ‘normal times’ vacation, being able to unplug for a few days and reset is key to maintaining your mental health and motivation.”
Lu Ortiz, Executive Director, Vita-Activa.Org: “If you see something, say something. People’s mental health is challenged by the pandemic, work-life balance, racial conflicts and gender inequality. If you see a member of your team struggling, with mood swings or uncharacteristically unmotivated, ask them how they are doing.”
David Cohn, JoinSubtext.com: “A saying I’ve long-had as a manager is ‘Don’t be a hero.’ Pre-COVID, this is what I’d tell folks on my team when it came to being sick, for example: “Don’t be a hero” — just be sick and come back when you’re 100%. In our current situation, it still applies. It’s also good as a manager to set expectations and time-horizons. Pre-COVID this meant setting quarterly goals, etc. Right now, it’s okay if you need to set more time-boxed goals, like ‘Let’s just make this week the best we can.'”
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