During our 20+ years of serving and working with you, our trusted clients, we have been through a lot together and we appreciate how unsettling the Coronavirus Pandemic can be for businesses, teams, and individuals alike. There are no easy fixes or specific best practices for any of this. But we have searched our hearts and experience for what might provide some direction and support as you lead through these extraordinary times.
Today, everyone has been compelled to reflect on how to adapt and scale out new and different ways of doing things. We want to make sure you have helpful resources at hand to keep your leadership approach grounded and centered. A lot can be gleaned from expert advice, suggestions, and case study examples. We at LDW have kept our ears to the ground and have noticed some themes amongst the leaders and organizations that we serve. Communication, alignment, and an authentic "human touch" are bubbling up as the hallmarks of successful leadership during this crisis.
Insights From the Field
"There is a strong sense that there are some significant benefits for leaders and their organizations in working remotely. Some leaders are taking this as an opportunity to embrace a much more innovative ‘future of work’ agenda, taking advantage of the fact that the rubicon has now been passed and that now is the time for bold change and new psychological contracts with staff and customers."
"The executive teams that are sending several communications per week, weaving in company values, and expressing that employees are valued are keeping employees engaged and receiving responses of gratitude."
"There is a recalibration happening about how people manage their multiple roles and responsibilities. The fluidity across roles is increasing. There is also a shared sense of uncertainty that is both unnerving and comforting. People feel 'in it together' and that is reassuring."
"Leaders are removing obstacles, providing resources, and drawing a clear line of sight to the mission of their organizations. Those that are focused on how they, as a team, can support the fight against the Coronavirus Pandemic are seeing remarkable innovations."
Like many of our client organizations, the current circumstances have accelerated our innovations as well. By focusing on client demands for agility, efficiency, and online capabilities, we have adapted our existing services while also establishing some exciting new ones. From Virtual Team Building events to more Streamlined Assessment services, our upgraded portfolio of offerings is designed to support leaders and help their organizations succeed through this crisis.
Virtual Assessment Offerings
Executive Assessment
Our first priority was to find a way to conduct our executive assessments remotely. We took great care to ensure that we preserved our signature level of insightful granularity throughout the process. We have been facilitating our interviews using state of the art video technology. Both our clients and the candidates have been pleased with the results.
Streamlined Assessments
We have developed a new virtual Streamlined Assessment Offering. An abridged version of our standard Executive Assessment, the Streamlined Assessment features a distilled process to pinpoint strengths and development opportunities for mid-level leaders and emerging executives.
Leading Virtual Teams
Building Cohesion & Alignment During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The way to build and rely on strong teams has taken new shape in the world of remote work and social distancing. Now it is as important as ever to proactively reaffirm the mission and fortify our interpersonal connections. For example, in April the LDW team used a virtual process to explore and exercise the concept of psychological safety for our recent staff meeting. And, over the last couple of months, we have worked with some of our key clients to facilitate virtual New Leader Assimilations and virtual Team Development Events. These intimate sessions have focused on creating agile ways of working as a team despite the current climate of change, apprehension and economic ambiguity.
Virtual New Leader Assimilations & Team Development Events
"It was tremendously impactful, despite being remote."
"I felt energized and more connected to the team."
