I am very fortunate to work with great managers every day who really care about their people. They take this part of their job very seriously. But with the pace we are working at, and the complexity of some of the challenges we are facing as a community, it is becoming increasingly hard to take care of the people who are part of our work tribe.

So how do we look after people during these difficult times?

Just like anything that seems huge and overwhelming, I always remind people to come back to the basics. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. What small things can you do consistently that can make a difference? In these increasingly unsteady times where transition is the norm, I think the small things we do regularly are far more important than the grand gestures we make once or twice a year.

Root cause

Before diving into action, it’s crucial to take a step back and assess what you are trying to address.

In many organizations, I observe a common tendency to initiate changes without first identifying the underlying issues or determining the specific objectives they aim to achieve. This lack of upfront assessment often leads to ineffective solutions and wasted resources.

It is becoming increasingly hard to take care of the people who are part of our work tribe.

To determine what we can do to support our staff, we need to go back and assess where the real need is. In my book Work Your Magic, I talk about the three epidemics we are facing: the mental health epidemic, the tech epidemic and the loneliness epidemic. As a leader supporting your staff, it’s crucial to keep these epidemics in mind.

While we often reference the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary disruptor to the workplace, I believe these underlying epidemics are the root causes of why work often feels like it is not working.

Ground rules

The third pillar of my MAGIC framework describes Ground Rules. These are the blocks we place under each end of the seesaw that we feel like we are standing on at work.

Often, we feel we are standing in the middle of a seesaw moving from side to side, trying to keep upright. The blocks are the professional blocks on one side and the personal blocks on the other side that allow the seesaw to be steady. This helps us stand comfortably in the middle, drop our shoulders and take a deep breath. This feels good. Our brains crave certainty, and we are not getting much of that at the moment.

Consistent blocks that people can rely on have never been more important.

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So what do you do as a leader? A team I worked with recently decided to really focus on their personal Ground Rules. The type of work they are doing is very complex, and they knew that to stay upright and continue their good work, they needed to lean into self-care.

Bravo to them. But they took it a step further. They recognized that, like all of us, they were moving so fast that self-care often drops off the agenda when life gets busy or work gets hard.

They decided as a team that one of their professional Ground Rules would be firstly to share as a team what their personal Ground Rules were and then to start team meetings by asking how everyone was doing with committing to their personal ground rules. Were they sticking to them?

I talk about the three epidemics we are facing: the mental health epidemic, the tech epidemic and the loneliness epidemic. As a leader supporting your staff, it’s crucial to keep these epidemics in mind.

If we go back to the epidemics, knowing our personal Ground Rules supports our mental health. Our attention is scattered due to the tech epidemic, yet prioritizing what matters on an individual and team level can help us stay aligned with what is truly beneficial for us.

In terms of the loneliness epidemic, coming together as a team, sharing personal Ground Rules, and helping each other commit to them shows that we see and support each other. This has never been more important.

This is just a small example. While it may not fit perfectly for your team, I urge you to think about a small routine, rhythm, or ritual that you can all commit to. Some Ground Rules that will support your mental health, help you to regain your focus and connect amidst the loneliness epidemic. What could your team do?