[ad_1]
Compassion, caring, trust: the 3 Cs leaders need in tough times
MANILA, Philippines —The COVID-19 pandemic has far-reaching impacts not only on public health and safety, but also on the workforce around the world.
Many companies, globally and even locally, immediately sought virtual transformation, providing physical and digital tools and allowing employees to work remotely. But to fully achieve the continuity of the workforce during a crisis, long-term solutions must be established, those that will build human resilience.
To that end, the world’s leading professional services company Accenture stresses the importance of responsible leadership now more than ever. Leaders must prioritize the health and safety of their people, both on the job and outside of their workplaces. They must also ensure quick but highly informed decisions that support the needs and goals of both the workforce and the business.
In its report, “Human Resilience: What Your People Need Now,” Accenture says that responsible leadership has taken on an even deeper meaning today as the workforce and customers find themselves in an unfamiliar global environment and fast moving. CEOs, hiring managers, and boards must meet leadership challenges in this new reality.
The Accenture report summarized the insights it collected from more than 15,600 respondents in 10 countries and dived into 15 industries. He found that there are 3Cs that leaders can show and practice in the face of a crisis: compassion, care and trust.
“During tough times, people look for leaders they can trust to keep them and their communities safe. They will look for leaders whose faces reflect how much they care. They will long to hear voices that are not only familiar but also filled with compassion. Ultimately, they will follow confident leaders who can guide them forward, ”said Lito Tayag, CEO of Accenture Philippines.
Compassion: understanding people’s needs
Accenture identified three areas where employees would need the support of their leaders: physical, mental and relational. While these needs apply at all times, in times of crisis they are magnified.
Relational needs involve the feeling of belonging and connection to give a sense of community, while physical needs provide security so that people feel safe in their environment. Mental needs support the psychological health of people.
As a people-centered company, Accenture has launched initiatives to support its people. “We have developed initiatives, processes and tools to help, support, guide and keep our people informed and connected. Our employees’ initiatives are focused on how to help our people adapt and thrive during this time and remain engaged and connected, ”Tayag said.
“Additionally, our people can access mental wellness experts and professional counselors through online and teleconsultation services to help them cope with emotional challenges and build mental resilience during this pandemic,” he continued.
By being compassionate, leaders will understand the needs of their people and can ultimately plan and act to meet these needs.
Attention: support digitally
Even in fast-moving, digital, remote workplaces, leaders can show their attention by enabling their people to reach their maximum productivity.
“Leaders who care make sure their teams are agile. They leverage technology and accelerate human-machine collaboration to help people transition to digital ways of working, ”explained Tayag.
As one of the world’s digitally enabled companies and with more than half a million Accenture people serving clients in 120 countries, the company has been using the collaboration technologies and infrastructure necessary for remote work at scale across your business, along with high collaboration. culture. Accenture employees around the world received collaborative tools and technologies to quickly connect and switch to a work-at-home environment with no material interruptions in service.
This type of digital enablement is critical, especially during tough times. The current pandemic leaves companies with no choice but to find new ways of working. Before the pandemic, the Accenture workforce report showed that less than a third of respondents were able to make full use of technology to do their jobs effectively. Leaders have the opportunity to act now and support people through digital ways of working to help move their organizations into the future.
Confidence: defined action plans
Finally, leaders must have the confidence to move together with their people into the next phase of business operations.
Accenture’s Human Resilience Report further recommends top management take 10 immediate actions to overcome a crisis.
- Collect feedback from all areas of the organization and from all types of workers.
- Free people from unnecessary jobs and activities.
- Educate and train leaders in the five elements: stakeholder engagement, emotion and intuition, mission and purpose, technology and innovation, and intellect and knowledge.
- Now is the time to work in agile, cross-functional teams. To hell with the hierarchy.
- Workers will remember the faces and voices that led the charge during this time. Make sure those voices are not only wise, but also compassionate and caring.
- Integrate your company’s purpose and values into every communication and initiative.
- People are hardwired to find meaning and respond better to stories and analogies in times of great stress and ambiguity.
- Establish strong communication governance, guiding principles, and tone among leaders so they’re in sync.
- You will always need remote workforce capabilities for at least a portion of your workforce. Now is the time.
- Don’t let the crisis of now keep you from moving on to the next.
“In times of crisis, our people look for inspiration and motivation. Leaders who demonstrate the 3Cs – compassion, care and trust – will not only address the concerns of their people, but also help keep them mentally, physically and emotionally strong to face future challenges, ”Tayag concluded.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.
[ad_2]
