The perceived wisdom is we cannot have a second chance to make a first impression and, of course, this is literally true. However, whilst the slate can’t be wiped clean, we can reassure and even inspire our people as they return from lockdown.

Many have been sat at home feeling frustrated, worried, unsure, bored, and thinking about the future.

Some have been at home, working but with a new freedom and sense of autonomy.

Some have just had a great time with the family and pursuing their hobbies.

Many from all groups are dreading the return to the commute, the constraints of highly specified start and finish times, the effects of old-style micro-management and the endless ‘catch-up’ meetings.

The two-dimensional manager may think that unemployment is going to be very high, so people will accept any conditions and put up with all management behaviour. This might be true, but will they still be with you in the medium-term future? And more importantly, will the staff be motivated and engaged to deliver in these hyper-competitive times.

What has been the feedback you have been receiving or giving to people at home and retained at work? Do you know how they are feeling? How are you capturing all of the learning?

A few weeks’ ago, Work Horizons produced two checklists to help organisations identify the issues to be faced as they emerged from lockdown and brought people back to the workplace.

There might be an assumption from management that people will be delighted to be back at work, or that they should be grateful to have the opportunity, or they must knuckle down because the business needs total commitment. Some might have been communicating throughout the lockdown but there will be others which have allowed a void to appear. Some will have had people at work and others furloughed; how will those relationships develop?

In short, this is a time for leadership.

Preparing for and managing tricky conversations at work – half-day premium workshop

With the impact of Coronavirus, you and your colleagues may well be facing some tricky conversations over the coming weeks and months.

More than ever managers are having to address challenges and staffing concerns, including:

• Conversations around restructuring and redundancies
• Handling objections and tension as staff return to the workplace
• Resolving performance concerns, including late delivery of work
• Addressing inappropriate behaviours, as people adjust to working remotely and returning

It is only when you are properly prepared and feel confident about tricky conversations, that you are likely to act promptly and resolve situations before they get any worse.

Tricky conversations workshops

With our popular, interactive half-day workshop you can develop your skills and confidence in dealing with tricky conversations. This is a premium session with strictly limited participants. You will be able to prepare for the situation ahead and review past conversations that could have gone better.

You will learn how to:

• Prepare effectively, including opening statements and questions
• Use questions and listening techniques effectively
• Structure feedback
• Manage your emotions and consider those of the other person
• Record agreed actions and develop a plan, including a review process

This will be an interactive workshop, including group work, demonstrations by the facilitators and opportunities for practice.

Workshop format

You will be joining the workshop from 9:30 to 12:30 using Zoom. There will be plenty of group work and breaks to avoid fatigue.

The workshop is led by three highly experienced facilitators and limited to 30 participants, so the content is tailored to you and the other delegates. Please note that we will not be providing specific employment law advice.

You will be provided with a worksheet in advance, so you can come prepared to make the most of the session.

Learning review session

There is an optional follow-up session on 21st July from 12:30 to 13:30, where you have the opportunity to reflect on your learning, how you have applied it and to further develop you skills.

We have delivered this workshop many times, with very good feedback, including office-based and online sessions. It has proven valuable to business leaders and managers from across the private, public and third sectors.

Your workshop facilitators

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact us by email or call Fiona on 07834 209240. Or if you are ready to book you can buy online now.

After weeks of lockdown, we are now seeing a gradual relaxation of the rules. While politicians are juggling measures to avoid a ‘second spike’ against the needs of the economy, business leaders need to prepare for people moving back into work, in one form or another.

While some people may be hoping for a return to where we were, in practical, psychological and emotional terms the world of work has changed, and will not go back to what it was.

Go to return to work checklists and other COVID resources

Onboarding returning staff

If you are managing people who have been out of the workplace for weeks, they will need re-onboarding:

• What are the new ways of working?
• How will you keep them safe at work?
• Are there changes to clients, suppliers and partners?
• Have there been adjustments to the management team?
• Who will continue to work from home, at least some of the time?
• Can you reassure them that their job will be safe?
• What communications processes will be used?

There may be attitudinal and behavioural changes caused by homeworking or being seen as a key worker. This may require extra attention as you manage the changes.

Redundancy and renewal

If you need to reduce headcount to adapt to new business circumstances, some staff who were furloughed may now be vulnerable to redundancy. However it is often after redundancies have been made that problems start. There may be legal cases to fight, with all of the exhausting effects on the managers and potential costs.

But more fundamentally, rebuilding has to take place. Although some people may just be happy to have kept their job, the Harvard Business Review reports that within a year of redundancies, businesses typically lose 30% of the people who were retained. It was found that the best people are unwilling to stay if they themselves feel threatened and perceive management as uncaring or unprofessional.

Next steps

We have created a series of checklists to highlight the areas that you may need to pay most attention to. Download them free from the Work Horizons website.