The COVID-19 pandemic caused a state of paralysis in many professional sectors since its outbreak in 2020. As a result, most of the world's working population were urged to work from home to avoid the infection spreading across the workplace.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took many measures to protect its population and maintain their safety, the most important of which was the implementation of remote work. However as the number of infections started to decline, it became clear that the return of working in the office was not going to be a seamless transition.
Implementing a progressive vision regarding remote work, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in the Kingdom launched workshops and programs through specialized departments that supported linking work teams to their offices in preparation for a full return to the pre-pandemic work environment, while enhancing productivity and consolidating loyalty, cooperation, and coordination between government sectors.
Perhaps a prominent example of this initiative is reflected in the Ministry's Internal Communication Department under the direction of Dr. Areej Al-Arfaj. In an interview with the magazine "Resources and Development", issued by the ministry, Dr. Al-Arfaj discussed ways to make the internal environment in the workplace attractive to employees, stressing that the ministry was working to activate all channels to achieve professional satisfaction and happiness. It set out to honor distinguished employees, strengthen communication and friendly dialogue between management and employees, with the aim to generate solutions to administrative challenges.
In this context, and consistent with the Ministry’s aspirations to overcome a state of disconnect between teams as a consequence of the pandemic, a book entitled “Employees First: Inspire, Participate, and Focus on the Essence of Your Organization” by Donna Kating stresses that institutions should present the red carpet to employees to make them feel the importance of their work. In this book, the author explains the importance of openly appreciating efforts, fostering a culture of kindness, supportive collaboration among colleagues and making sure every team member's voice is heard while at the same time providing support, training, and appropriate incentives.
As a team leader, it’s imperative to restore cohesion between team members after the pandemic, in order to achieve higher productivity and more content employees. Here are various measures you can take to help you in the process:
1- Remind your team of their sense of purpose
Direct your team towards a clear common goal, and emphasize the importance of their cooperation and follow their progress. Do what you can to solve any problem or challenges which arise on the way. And it’s important that they have a clear sense of purpose and appreciate the impact of their work.
2- Cultivate a spirit of kindness and compassion
Instill a culture of kindness and moral support among team members and lead by example to make your team feel a sense of camaraderie and how this will pay off in the long run.
3- Improve communication
To build a cohesive team at work, stay in regular touch with the team and establish an effective and clear communication structure as this would motivate the team, encourage transparency, and enable them to accomplish their tasks efficiently.
4- Encourage diversity and inclusion
No team can truly succeed without diversity and inclusion. A good team leader is able to realize the value in diverse opinions and perspectives to maximize productivity, while at the same time establishing a safe space where everyone can feel respected, heard and connected.
5- Encourage team members to collaborate outside of work
Create opportunities for your team members to bond outside the workplace, whether by signing up for a marathon or partaking in a beach cleanup, or even nurturing the office plants as these activities build friendly connections within the team.
6- Celebrate special occasions
Take note and celebrate special personal events with the team, like birthdays, and announcing social events, such as marriages or the arrival of a new baby. Equally, be there for your team at times when they are feeling down because of personal circumstances as all these encourage team bonding and cohesion.
7- Follow up on your employees
Take the initiative to follow up on employees when they are on sick leave and offer them the support they require that is available to you and the team.
Fostering connections and a supportive environment for the team plays a big part of a leader’s responsibility to ensure the team's cohesiveness, confidence, and high performance.
