Whether you’re leading a team of assistants or are looking for some ideas for your boss, change and leadership coach Louise Gilbert has five robust strategies for helping teams stay on track and keep moving forward – without burning out.
“According to Gallup’s 2023 report, stress levels are at a record high with 44% of global employees reporting significant stress. Supporting your team through tough times is about finding the right balance. Think of three pedals – performance, growth and wellbeing. Press the right one at the right time and you can help your team get through anything.
- Tough times need Mindset X
When uncertainty hits, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or stuck. Mindset X is about building the ability to adapt, face complexity with confidence and lean into challenges rather than be thrown by them.
Developing Mindset X in your team gives them tools to experiment and approach obstacles with curiosity. In difficult moments it’s about saying, ‘What’s possible here?’ rather than ‘Why is this happening?’ This adaptability keeps your team moving forward, no matter how rough the road gets.
- Balance the load with Team Tetris
In any tough period, one of the biggest issues is workload. Some will feel like they’re drowning; others might not have enough to do. That imbalance creates frustration and inefficiency.
Team Tetris is about playing a game of fitting the pieces together; making sure no-one is overburdened, and everyone is contributing in a way that fits their capacity. This keeps things moving smoothly and prevents burnout.
- Built-in Wellbeing to prioritise people
Wellbeing often gets sacrificed when the pressure is on. But that’s when you need it most. Built-in Wellbeing embeds wellbeing into the very way your team operates. Whether that’s flexible work arrangements, encouraging proper breaks or just making space for conversations about how people are feeling.
You can’t push the performance pedal without paying attention to wellbeing. Because if your people aren’t feeling good, they won’t be able to do great.
- Powerful Engagement to foster psychological safety
Without engagement, your team is running on empty. And there’s no real engagement without psychological safety. Your team needs to know it’s okay to speak up, share ideas and make mistakes. Powerful Engagement creates an environment where your people feel safe enough to bring their whole selves to the table.
When they feel safe, they’ll stay connected to their work and to each other. Fostering openness and trust keeps the energy alive, even when stress levels are high.
- Stay on track with Aligned Purpose
When things get tough, people lose sight of why they’re doing what they’re doing. That’s where Aligned Purpose comes in. It’s your job to remind your people of the bigger picture; to connect their day-to-day work to the larger mission.
When everyone is rowing in the same direction, it makes it easier to navigate the turbulence of tough times. Keep your team’s purpose front and centre, and you’ll keep them moving.
