Lessons Managers Should Take Away from the Pandemic

Now more than ever, managerial training has demonstrated itself to be critical to operational success. The pandemic highlighted our weaknesses, and it’s time for organizations to adapt. Three crucial gaps emerged during the pandemic, and smart leaders are using these as lessons to create more impactful leadership within their organizations. The first lesson is to respond constructively and with empathy to employees’ problems. A recent study revealed that only 26 percent of employees say their leaders always respond this way, and the handful of employees who feel this way are 12 times more likely to recommend their organization as a great employer. Another lesson is that feedback is critical—and not just any feedback. It needs to be effective and without emotion. Base feedback on data and proved a clear path forward with goals along the way. And speaking of goals, employees need to grow and guide their own careers. To be more effective, managers should ask them where they would like to be in the coming months and years, ask them what’s preventing them from getting there, and remove the roadblocks to achieving those goals.