Everyone is coming into 2022 with burnout and exhaustion at the forefront of our reality, and also at the doorsteps of our teams. Leading in 2022 will be like no other time in history! It will take new proactive and strategic skills that are critical to survival. To be a successful leader in 2022, you must be out front and lighting the path to success. Here are five focus areas to thrive in 2022:
- Be Flexible in Everything, EXCEPT Goals: Ask any Sales Manager who has been managing a remote sales team and they will say clear measurable goals are essential. Stop focusing on “butts-in-seats” leadership and focus on strategic goal leadership. If an individual knows what they need to complete, they can complete it anytime and anywhere.
- Delegate Proactive Projects, not Reactive Tasks: In the “old world”, you could “drive-bye” someone’s desk and ask them to complete a task. Those days are gone. Instead, delegate projects or group of tasks and provide your team with the lead time to actually complete the project. And it might mean you have to plan the goals beyond the next 24 hours!
- Rock Your One-on-One Meetings: Ensure one-on-ones are forward-focused and use the time to think with your direct reports. “What do you need to complete in the next two weeks? What can I help clarify or think through with you for you to be successful?” If they fail to complete their work, they will bring repeated topics and you know there is a performance issue. But if they do their work, they will seek clarity for the next steps and be set free to achieve their deliverables!
- Plan for an All-New Workforce: Even before the pandemic, the number of full-time employees transitioning to contractor or freelancer work was growing. Now, after full-time employees have experienced flexibility and been challenged with new factors like unreliable school schedules and health concerns, several surveys predict the workforce will be 60% contractors in the next two years. Which departments and positions could be outsourced in two years?
- Be the Work Life Balance Role Model: It isn’t enough to preach it, you must live it. A recent survey showed that employees are 73% more likely to say they have good work life balance if they believe their boss has good work life balance. Find ways to delegate, prioritize, and focus your work to save yourself AND your team from burnout.
The world of work is not ever going back to the old normal. Leaders in 2022 need to adjust to the new norm. By focusing on these five points above, you will be able to blow away your goals, retain your talent, and build a culture that will sustain the unforeseen challenges ahead. And if you need help through coaching or organizational development projects, email me at mark.heydt@gameplanleader.com.