Leadership is a Full-Contact Sport
Recently I read an article in the NY Times that Massachusetts has altered the game of soccer for children’s teams in their state. “No physical contact. No slide tackles. No headers. No throw-ins. Six feet of distance between players is required whenever play is restarted.” So the question becomes: if the rules are changed is soccer still soccer?
This made me think of leadership. Lately, what I’m hearing most from my clients is that their normal forms of leadership are thwarted and their old methods are no longer effective or even allowed. The usual hospitality go-to’s like handshakes, on-the-fly catch-ups, and jumping on the line are either outlawed or severely limited. So, if the rules of hospitality management have changed is leadership still leadership?
Lucky for us the answer is “yes.” Leadership is the same but the methods you may have utilized before may have to change or adjust. Lately, the areas of connection that managers have reported missing are spontaneous moments of connection with their team members (quick check-in’s), physically engaging with their employees (physical greetings and high-fives), and literally helping out their team members (working with them side by side). If these managers cannot be in physical contact then they are left feeling less confident and less effective than before.
It is possible for hospitality managers to have full contact with their team members even when everyone must keep their distance. It’s essential to maintain and enhance contact with your teams; it is an important component of leadership. And it’s crucial for managers to regain their confidence and usefulness by adding new methods of leadership to their current repertoire. Here are 3 ways leaders can create connection with their employees and increase contact with their teams who are remote:
State your intention: Since we’re further away from our most important people at work (our team members) you must be more overt about what’s on your mind. So if you’re thinking something, that’s not enough, you must say what you’re thinking and state your intentions out loud. In the old days, body language might warm up a tough conversation (you’re together and you may lean in to show you are interested) so now it’s important to say “I want you to know that I value your efforts and now I need you to work on xyz…” Letting this person know how you feel is important to them connecting to what you need them to do.
Verbalize what you would normally physicalize: An elbow bump only goes so far. If you want to show that you’re happy about something say it out loud: “you really pushed hard during service today, I appreciate it so much.” Or, if you see someone is having a tough time, instead of putting your hand on his or her shoulder, say what you’re feeling: “I’m here for you, let me know if there is anything I can do.” These words will go a long way and verbalizing your thoughts is one of the most important things you can do as a leader.
Ask “how”: If you’re managing a big operation and your meetings have moved online, you may feel quite removed from the day to day of how your managers are completing tasks and approaching projects. This can make leaders feel quite helpless and left out. In order to get closer to what your team members are doing ask them how they are doing their work. “How are you approaching xyz?” or “I’d love to hear more about how you’re thinking about the xyz program…” are both good phrases to get more info about a particular topic and gain confidence in the approach your team member is taking. Asking “how” is incredibly empowering for your team member as well; it inspires him or her to think, decide and claim each stage of the project they are taking on. “How” is a good way to connect to your team and the work they do while connecting them to the task at hand.
The main difference between soccer and leadership is the lack of score keeping. Leadership is not about scoring points and winning or losing, it’s about trying. Every day you have numerous chances to try: try to create contact and connection with your teams and try your best to learn a new approach to leadership.
