Let’s give you the benefit of the doubt.
When you’re there with your team, you see and hear them, you read the body language and you sense the mood. You check in and speak to people privately. Nothing intense, but you make it clear you have the time if there’s anything they want to talk about. You open a channel and, every so often, you remind your colleagues that it’s there for them to use.
That’s the perfect you, in ‘normal’ times.
But times are not normal just now.
The virus is bringing even more challenges than the headlines suggest. We’re aware of the grave threat to our physical health and we’ve focused on getting over the obstacles of isolating and distancing to still achieve what our firms need from us. But in concentrating so hard on producing the goods, we’re forgetting to check on the state of the machine that’s doing the work.
How is the team? When did you last speak to them? Privately. Not about the work they’re doing for that deadline, but to let them know they can talk to you if they feel the need. Different colleagues will be going through very different experiences, some over-burdened, others with too much time to worry about an uncertain future.
Now might be a good time to check. Maybe your colleagues wouldn’t be surprised to hear from you at a time like this. And, of course, the perfect you can take over seamlessly when things are back to normal.