Staying Focused During COVID-19
Tips you and your team can carry with you after the pandemic is over.
When we learned the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic back in March, there was no way to gauge how long it would last. We focused on what we had to do in the present, weighed the worst-case scenarios and waited for it all to unfold. And we waited. And waited.
And here we are, in July – still waiting. Most businesses have started back up, though many of us are working from home. Meetings over Zoom, Google Teams, or FaceTime punctuate our daily lives, and we struggle to fit childcare and family obligations into the new normal. Meanwhile, our teams still look to us to lead. We face the difficult task of keeping our teams focused while maintaining our own.
Here at ON Point, we know the struggle is real. This month, we’ll focus on maintaining focus in our own lives, as business leaders, and in our teams.
Maintain your focus.
Focusing on work can be difficult when you’re working remotely. Companies pivoted quickly to an online format, and teams got into the groove of Zoom calls. But, now we’re in it for the long haul. Parents wonder what school will look like this fall and check the daily news to see where the pandemic will spike next. Distractions are everywhere.
As a leader, it’s your job to keep your team ON Point. But first, you need to take care of your focus. Keep a regular work schedule so that you have time for relaxation. Set small daily goals and give yourself some grace if your productivity is down. Take care of your mental health. It’s normal to be stressed out. Acknowledge that so that you can take steps to relieve the stress.
Divert your attention to other things. Focus on the present by filling your day with meaningful activities. Now is a great time to learn a new language or a new hobby. Find new ways to connect with family and friends. And, if you’ve got a seemingly impossible task before you, focus on the upsides of completing the task.
Maintain your team’s focus.
Leaders strike a balance between acknowledging team members’ anxieties while motivating them to stay focused on their work. Accepting the uncertainty, keeping lines of communication open, paring down meetings to keep them focused and productive, and directing your teams focus on the company’s future all help to cultivate team focus.
And, even though it’s the first time we’ve all been through something like this, it’s not the first time humanity has been through something like this. Often, times of isolation and uncertainty blossom into periods of creativity and innovation, just as the Bubonic Plague gave birth to the Italian Renaissance. Think about making space in your organization for more creativity and innovation.
As Next Level leaders, you can carry the skills cultivated during this time into a more certain future. By focusing on the benefits of these unprecedented times and leading your team to do so as well, you’ll keep everyone ON Point. And, if you need direction, check out our past blogs and the wealth of resources available here at ON Point Next Level.
