Leading & Communicating in Change - the "New Normal"

A Workshop with Daena Giardella

As we continue to transition to a “New Normal” after 2 years of Zoom meetings and other COVID19 adaptations, we will need to navigate this transition with care and thoughtfulness. Though we are moving away from some of the restrictions that affected how and where we could meet and work, there will continue to be some uncertainties as we figure out our new routines and schedules, while keeping pace with the ever-evolving public health information about virus variants and safety. We are living and working in times of ongoing change. Organizational leaders will need to be adept in handling many core questions and issues:

How do we lead and communicate effectively in times of change?

How to do we effectively transition our fully remote teams back to a model where some will be remote, some may be hybrid, or others will be in entirely in the office?

How can we take advantage of reconnecting and meeting again in person as an opportunity to build stronger relationships and teams?

What new processes and ways of working discovered during the pandemic might we want to keep or adapt going forward?

How do we shift our mindset to greater acceptance of flexible work schedules (when possible), especially if some of our team members request, prefer, or continue to need these alternate arrangements?

What are best practices for communicating in meetings to both those in the room and those online – to be inclusive of everyone? This may require a learning curve, conscious planning, and intentionality in the moment during meetings.

How do we respond with emotional intelligence, empathy, and clarity to the feelings and anxieties of others, when team members are experiencing “transition stress” or “re-entry anxiety?”

How do we effectively communicate expectations about work priorities to team members - in particular, how to best communicate when a certain job function does not lend itself to the same level of location/schedule flexibility as other job functions?

How do managers and employees have constructive conversations when the flexibility requested is not able to be provided and the employee does not have the same understanding as to why this flexibility is not allowed?

How can we help empower our staff/teams to have constructive discussions with us, to brainstorm solutions, to work through differences in understanding, and arrive to a common understanding and agreement?

Leading in change is an essential leadership capability that will be needed and tested often as we all create our “new normal” together in the coming months. In an interactive format, this workshop will give you an opportunity to learn, discuss, and practice useful skills, influence tools, and approaches to help you lead adeptly in times of change and transition.

Return to Consulting Home Page for More Info on Daena's Other Training Programs and Presentations