How good leaders support effective teamwork
A guest blog from Kate Dawson:
Have you noticed that in most job interviews you’re asked how good you are at working in a team? That’s because in most jobs there’s an element of working with others to achieve a shared goal. In 2021, the question for charity employers is more likely to be: “How good are you at working as part of a remote team whose goals and activities are constantly having to change?”
My own experience of starting two new jobs in the charity sector during the COVID-19 pandemic has really put my own teamworking skills under the spotlight and highlighted the importance of good leadership in promoting effective remote teamworking.
In my role at a social enterprise involved in delivering the COVID-19 vaccinations I’ve been incredibly impressed by the teamworking across the myriad partner organisations to ensure that the planning, preparation and delivery of the vaccinations runs as smoothly as possible. The success of teamwork largely seems to be down to the fact that everyone has a clearly defined role and area of responsibility and who they are accountable to. Given the time constraints everyone is under, being clear about the purpose of every single meeting and ensuring the right people are around the virtual table also means that time isn’t wasted on unnecessary calls.
More broadly, working as a communications consultant over the last year, I’ve realised that more than ever helping teams to work effectively means understanding their pain points, for example what, of their usual activities, have been thwarted by lockdown and where are staff having to adapt or develop what they do to comply with lockdown restrictions and/or the needs of their beneficiaries? I’ve been fortunate to work with team leaders who know that the simplest of gestures, such as an email thanking people for their hard work, praising a contribution in an online meeting, or ensuring those on the frontline are given a voice, can do much to keep teams engaged with a shared purpose and feeling valued. It could be argued that these leadership qualities are not exclusive to the current times but will help sustain teams (and individual team members) long after the pandemic.
For those of you responsible for rebuilding or restarting teams in the charity or voluntary sector following the current lockdown, you’re not alone! Community Chesterfield is offering a FREE training session delivered by the workforce guru, Andrew Deighton, who will share his expertise on bringing back on-board staff who have been furloughed, energising teams to focus on the future and supporting teams to work together effectively. There’s also a chance to ask Andrew questions and for his advice on specific questions.
Kate Dawson provides PR and communications consultancy to the charity and public sector. Website: www.wellreadpr.com
Image by GraphicMama-team from Pixabay