Managing isn't always easy and it doesn't come naturally to all. Some people will have learned skills through formal studies for others it's a new situation. The main thing to remember is, most people know what needs to be done and how to do it, your main role is providing them with your support and your time. Above all manage with empathy, kindness and compassion.
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion" The Dalai Lama.
Accessing coaching | Compassionate leadership | Daily check-ins | Encourage | Identify stress triggers | Listen | Managing remotely | Reassure | Signpost | Time to talk | Wellbeing check-ins
Accessing coaching
During this time of fast-paced change and immense pressure, leaders in all parts of our system find themselves working in different ways and environments - some are on the front line, others in supporting roles and services.
- Working with a coach can support you in the following ways:
- Becoming more resilient and staying positive
- Adapting to a new role / team / environment
- Leading and supporting your team
- Finding a solution to a challenge
- Getting a perspective on work
- Finding a way forward when nothing feels certain
- Getting unstuck
- Identifying how to learn something new
- Deciding what to prioritise or where to start
To request a coaching conversation please contact coach@pkc.gov.uk
Please give the following information:
- Brief indication of what you want to work on with your coach
- How best to contact you
- An indication of when you would like your coaching session
Coaching appointments are available Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm, with flexibility out-with these hours.
Compassionate leadership
Know the facts - In order to lead you need to understand the problems, situations and decisions your peers and employees are facing. People around you want to know that you 'Get' their challenges. You need to know the facts.
Have an emotional understanding - Knowing the facts alone aren't enough. Your team members also want to know that you feel what they feel. That you understand them on an emotional level. Does your team feel stressed out? Are they excited, bored, frustrated or anxious? Understanding how your team feels doesn't mean things have to change. Your team just want to know that you understand.
Motivational connection - People on your team want to know that you want them to succeed. That you've got their back. Knowing that you have their best interests at heart is highly motivational. It is important to note that compassion is not only the awareness of others' distress; it is also doing something about it!
Being treated with compassion helps us all to feel safe and valued. As a result our ability to think and our wellbeing improve, we become more engaged and this has a positive impact on our performance.
Leading with compassion helps to counter stress and negative emotional responses in our teams which in turn enables people to experience positive feelings such as hope, builds resilience and develops empowerment.
Daily check-ins
Ensure you have as close to daily check-ins with team members as possible and ask the following questions: How are you and what are you doing to look after yourself? These questions can help to identify any changes in behaviour or mood, which you can work on together. If on Monday people were saying they were getting out, they were going for a walk, they were feeling good about things, but by Friday they're saying they haven't been able to leave the house, haven't seen or spoken to anyone - you can spot the trends. Then you can check in and ask them directly how they're feeling (Chartered Management Institute).
Look for what people are not saying. Is their body language or facial expressions in sync with what they're saying? Ask how their energy is? Energy can be used as a barometer for resilience, if energy is low resilience is likely to be low too.
Encourage
Encourage staff to look after their mental health and well-being. Looking after our mental health is as important as managing our physical health. Make wellbeing part of the discussion at every conversation. Ask things like: What are you doing for you? How are you recharging?
Identify the stress triggers
What are your triggers? For some it may be their increased or decreased workload, and for others it may be working in environments not conducive to productivity or concentration. It's important to pin the trigger(s) down - use the Wellbeing Planning Tool (PDF) [711KB] to help with this. If you're not physically with them, you can talk via a Teams video call; being able to read each other's facial cues will help enormously during this conversation.
Listen
This is one of the most important skills to have as a manager. It's not easy, it's hard work to listen properly. Start by practising active listening - giving your full attention to another. You can't multi-task while doing this, you can't even do one other task. Give your people the time and space to be open and honest about how they are feeling, both physically and emotionally. If you would like to learn more about Deep Listening Skills, contact corporateod@pkc.gov.uk.
Managing remotely
Working from home is a whole new ball game for many of us. As a manager you have a key role in supporting people in your teams, getting to know them, what motivates them and what support they need. Your relationship can have a massive positive or negative impact on an individual (for more information or guidance contact corporateod@pkc.gov.uk).
Managing remotely (PDF) [2MB] provides the basic information.
Reassure
Your team members may be feeling stressed - this is no reflection on their ability to do their job or an indication that they are weak however they may need reassurance that you appreciate this.
Give reassurance where it's needed.
Signpost
Signpost your team to the information on these wellbeing pages, have a look around, know what's here. If your team know you take wellbeing seriously they will be more likely to take it seriously too.
Time to talk
It's always beneficial to talk when you have an issue or challenge. Employees should be able to talk to you as their line manager, or have a coaching conversation with a qualified internal coach - email coach@pkc.gov.uk
You might want to chat in a less formal way, a Listening Ear - email JCassidy@pkc.gov.uk to talk to someone in a confidential, supported way.
NHS (HSCP) can access the Staff Wellbeing Service
- Email: wellbeing.tayside@nhs.net
- Telephone: 07917 183804
Wellbeing check-in
Keep checking in regularly with your team members, particularly around health and wellbeing. You may find the following models useful to support wellbeing discussions:
- Personal Wellbeing Check-in Tool (PDF) [20KB] - you can incorporate this into the Development Discussion and also use on a regular basis
- Team Wellbeing Check-in Tool (PDF) [20KB] - you can share this with your team and discuss segments of the model at your team meetings
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