With the outbreak of COVID-19, the virus has shaken up the professional and business landscape. Working from home, social isolation, and less natural human contact leads to unforeseen circumstances.
It’s important to expand your bandwidth, get equipped, and support your team during these sensitive times. Here are the top five professional and soft skills to keep under your belt amid COVID-19.
Empathy ♥️
During a public health crisis empathy is vital. Times like this feeling of isolation, fear of exposure, or worrying about supplies takes a toll on the mind. That’s why leading with empathy can regulate emotions and combat those fears. Being empathetic keeps that sense of togetherness, manages emotions, and show teammates that they’re a priority.
How can I practice empathy?
- Be caring and patient
- Show appreciation
- Understand their perspective
Communication 🗣
It goes without saying that communication is the key to remote life. It’s about finding a practical method and staying constant. Consider how to engage in your team. Are one-on-ones better at the end or beginning of the day? Is this announcement better shared over Slack or e-mail? Note: It’s not a bad idea to even over communicate.
How can I practice communication?
- Send a good morning slack message to your team
- Keep your peers in the loop with the status of projects
- Send a Google Calendar invite to a friend for a coffee catch up
Time Management ⏰
Whose time management skills have gone down the drain since working from home? ✋ Understandably, there are distractions everywhere especially if you’re new to the home office game. To master the art of time management, it about being organized, goal-orientated, and prioritizing tasks. It’s about working smarter, not harder.
How can I practice time management?
- Create a to-do list
- Set time limits for each task
- Transfer items to Google Calendar to get alerts
Supportiveness 👋
Giving support means taking action. Extend a hand to your peers whether that’s offering to take some of their tasks or donating equipment to help them work efficiently. Matter says, “A supportive environment equips teams with the tools they need to perform effectively and shows that you respect their concerns and ideas.”
How can I practice supportiveness?
- Celebrating others’ achievements
- Directing them to appropriate resources
- Offering lifelines
Resourcefulness 🎗
Being resourceful entails a growth mindset. Working from home creates various roadblocks, but this skill is about overcoming obstacles. It’s a time to be imaginative in finding solutions and maintaining a positive attitude. Even when resourceful individuals fall, they find a way to get back up and try again.
How can I practice resourcefulness?
- Can-do attitude
- Get creative
- Don’t give up
