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News Aug. 24, 2021

How can managers balance compassion and accountability?

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, managers have been encouraged to be understanding with employees as they handle the stressors involved. As restrictions are lifting in some places, managers are wondering how to continue to balance compassion for their team members and accountability for completing work, according to Harvard Business Review.

Experts who study motivation and compassion at work say now is not a time to pull back on the consideration managers have shown employees during the past year. Rather than thinking of compassion and accountability as opposing factors, consider how you can combine the two.

Following are some tips to help you be caring while holding people to high standards.

  • Reframe how you think about the past year. It was a tough year, and some may frame it as a time when people were not at their most productive. However, many employees likely accomplished a lot in not particularly easy circumstances. Rather than viewing considerations for employees as being lenient, view it as being flexible.
  • You may need to rethink your assumptions about what motivates employees. Many managers believe they need to be tough to get people to produce, but research does not support that. Part of a manager’s job is to create a psychologically safe workplace, and being compassionate is critical to performance.
  • Do not ignore the reality that people still are feeling burned out. The old method of dealing with mental health at work—essentially hiding it—does not work. People want to be able to talk openly about mental health issues in their workplaces.
  • Try to avoid the temptation of believing your employees are taking advantage of you. Some team members may have been requesting accommodations during the past year, and you may believe you have worked your hardest and completed your work without such accommodations; however, everyone’s situation is unique. If someone is underperforming, understand why and discuss how you can address the root causes.
  • Focus on resilience. People respond to stress in different ways and require varying levels of support. Instead of wondering when you can stop asking people how they are doing, think about how you can help them manage their lives and perform better. Focus on the positive effects of their work.
  • Have individual conversations with team members to understand their unique circumstances. Ask them to tell you what is happening in their lives and how it is affecting their work, making it clear what the job requires and seeing what they think is feasible. However, you do not need to tolerate sustained underperformance.
  • Have team members keep each other accountable. Sit down as a group and solve problems together.
  • Do not forget to take care of yourself. You likely are feeling the same stress and pressure as your team members. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep, eat well, exercise and guarantee you have the support you need.
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