How to Productively Manage a Team in Times of Crisis

As COVID-19 has spread, many aspects of our working lives have changed. Some of us wear masks and face-shields; some join meetings from our couches; others juggle conference calls and toddler nap times.  For leaders overseeing teams, there are also new challenges. As information about the virus and economic conditions change rapidly, leaders must make quick (and often painful) decisions about staffing, shutting down offices, and pivoting business plans overnight. Meanwhile, there are the more mundane—but still critical—day-to-day challenges of overseeing a team effectively during a global pandemic. How do you hold meetings when your team is suddenly all remote? How can you accommodate more flexible employee schedules while still meeting productivity goals? How often should you be communicating with your employees?  To get answers to these questions, on this week’s episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, assistant editor Pavithra Mohan and I speak with Eric Pliner, CEO of YSC consulting. Pliner, who is an executive coach for Fortune 500 companies, also shares his thoughts on the importance of thinking long term and acting in a way that will elevate company culture beyond the immediate crisis. You can listen and subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.