Leaders continue to play a critical role in how successfully Fleming navigates this crisis. These resources are designed to provide you with information and strategies to take care of yourself and guide your teams through these unprecedented times.
The Senior Management Team knows that this is a difficult time for everyone, and wanted to share a few of our favourite tips to keep in mind as we practice self-care.
- Our personal physical, mental, and emotional health is far more important then anything else.
- We are not “working from home”, we are “at our homes, working during a crisis” and recognize that our success is measured differently in these circumstances. Maintain open communications with your manager and colleagues re workload expectations.
- We strive to maintain a normal work schedule and boundaries between home and office time; this includes taking vacation time to rest and recharge.
- We will remember that everyone copes differently and will practice kindness and compassion towards ourselves and others.
- We will get through this together as a community. Reaching out to each other is of utmost importance. To support our students, we must also support each other with ongoing connection and compassion.
Highlight Reel of best practices for managing your team remotely
- Personal contact is important – take advantage of video conference technology to check in and stay connected with your team in-person, just as you would drop by their desks in the office. Talk to them about life as well as work.
- Be creative in engaging your team – schedule some social activities (e.g. photo contests, introduce your child/pet to the team, etc.).
- When working remotely, keeping your staff informed is critical to reduce anxiety and build trust. Share information openly where possible.
- Set clear expectations and specific goals, balanced with the realization that it is not “business as usual” in this crisis.
- Regularly remind and encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day to restore energy and maintain productivity.
- Model empathy, authenticity and compassion in your interactions.
- Ask your employees how they are doing and engage in active listening.
- Acknowledge and be flexible in addressing family giving responsibilities – your HRC is available to assist with developing accommodations to support your staff
- Regularly encourage and demonstrate appreciation of your staff – let them know their contributions are valued,
- “Emotionally proofread your messages. Always re-read your messages for tone and clarity before hitting send. For example, sending “Let’s talk” when you mean “These are good suggestions, let’s discuss how to work them into the draft” may make the recipient unnecessarily anxious.” (Source: Ryerson)
- Be creative in how you engage your team. Click here for some ideas
- Promote the self-care guiding principles and resources communicated by SMT.
Many other resources located here.
Wellness Resources for Leaders
Area |
Link |
| Navigating the New Normal | A COVID-19 Supplement to CAMH’s Mental Health Playbook for Business Leaders |
| How to Talk About Mental Health | The Mental Health Coalition provides great resources on how to identify signs someone may be struggling with mental health and how to start a conversation. |
| Why Leaders Need to Make Time for Self-Care | Leadership demands long hours and great effort, but rest and relaxation are just as essential as hard work |
| Why compassionate leadership matters in a crisis | “Compassion should also be guided by appreciating and meeting the core ‘ABC’ of human needs at work.” |
| Heroic leadership: the order of the day? | Even in ordinary times people can make their leader a hero – and sometimes a scapegoat. Leaders become public property onto whom others project things and, whether they like it or not, |
| Helping doesn’t have to hurt: Managing compassion fatigue in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic | This short article is also relevant to leaders who experience compassion fatigue in supporting students and employees. |
| How Article: Employers Can Promote Employee Mental Health during the COVID-19 Crisis |
“Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management…research focuses on the role managers play to foster mental health in the workplace” . |
| COVID-19 Survey: Leader Toolkit |
When critical events occur (such as COVID-19), your role as a team leader is especially important in keeping your team focused and engaged. Below you will find the 6 key drivers with related goals, considerations, and questions you can consider asking your team. Sourced: https://www.achievers.com/COVID-19 |
| Discussing Mental Health: Best Practices for Managers and Employees | “Discussing mental health issues in the workplace is difficult. Whether you are a manager or an employee, discover some best practices to help with the conversations.” |
| 6 tips to respond to employee anxiety about COVID-19 | “With coronavirus (COVID-19) now officially being called a pandemic by the World Health Organization, public fear and anxiety are on the rise. Your employees may be experiencing a high degree of uncertainty, worry and stress about the health and safety of their loved ones, and how this pandemic may disrupt their work and personal lives.” |
| Mental Health Training for Managers |
Sun Life Financial provides online Mental Health Training for Managers Including: 1. Introduction to mental health and disability 2. Managing mental health in the workplace 3. Managing absenteeism 4. Managing difficult behaviour 5. Managing interpersonal conflict 6. Staying at work and returning to work 7. It is my choice – understanding how many factors impact mental health |
| Work from Home tips | Microsoft created a “guide to working from home”. Please note this link cannot be opened in Microsoft edge. |
| Managing a Telecommuting Team | Best Practices for Managing a Telecommuting Team. |
| CCOHS Mental Health: e-Course Package |
“Creating healthy workplaces has become increasingly urgent, as stress levels continue to rise and the awareness of the human economic costs of mental illness has grown. CCOHS offers your organization a package of e-courses to help employers, managers, supervisors, and workers understand mental health issues in the workplace”. Mental Health: Awareness |
| People Leader Guide – LifeWorks | People Leader Guide provided by LifeWorks |