March/April 2021

FUNCTION VENUES
trivial but to them are important, so give
them plenty of time; people won’t open up
if they feel rushed.
› ESTABLISH EXPECTATIONS
It’s inevitable that the way you work, and
some duties, will have changed. This might
present opportunities to restructure, to
upskill and cross train people to master
new skills, to take on other responsibilities
as part of their development.
There may be duties that were once a
part of a role but are now less of a priority,
so explain why this is. If these were tasks
they did well or took a particular pride
in doing, be sensitive to how you handle
this. You certainly don’t want them to get
the impression that their previous efforts
weren’t appreciated.
Whatever the outcome, be clear on what
the ‘new’ role is, or at least what the options
are. You may not need to agree this right
now; either one of you may need to time to
research or reflect.
› AGREE ACTIONS
What needs to happen as a result of your
meeting? There may be things they need
from you, and possibly things you need
them from them too. Sum up the actions
either of you will take and by when, so you
both know where you stand.
› REASSURE
By now you’ll have a good sense for how
they are feeling. Address any areas of
concern, so they know you are there to
support them, and that they can come to
you with any later questions or suggestions,
however trivial they may seem.
Do they have any further questions about
their shifts, their pay, any training prior to
opening, any new responsibilities, who
they will be working with? You may not be
able to answer all these questions right
now, so make a commitment to when you’ll
come back to them. Reassure them of your
commitment to their safety and ongoing
support.
› ENTHUSE, EXCITE AND ENERGISE
Don’t dwell on the past, but demonstrate
your enthusiasm and excitement about the
opportunities ahead. Are there any new
skills or interests they’ve adopted during
lockdown that have relevance to their work
or to the business as a whole and they’d like
to pursue?
What new skills or development
would they like? You may not be able to
make any promises, but by having these
conversations now makes it easier to factor
them into your new business model where
you can, and gives them something more to
look forward to.
Everyone now has new experiences and
different perspectives than they did 12
months ago, so listen and take on board
any ideas and suggestions they have to help
with their return to work or your reopening.
› REVIEW DATE
Schedule a follow-up date with each team
member. Even though you’ve told them
you are there for them, some would never
initiate a conversation or come to you for
help unless it’s in the privacy of a scheduled
one-to-one meeting. Whether you meet
again before re-opening or not, make
sure there is at least one follow up date
scheduled before you end the meeting.
REBUILDING THE TEAM
Some of your team members may not
have seen one another for the whole of the
lockdown. You may even have new people
in your team who haven’t met anyone yet.
Take steps now to bring the team together,
and ensure that when they return everyone
is aligned. Here are three areas to pay
attention to:
1. SHARED PURPOSE
People perform better when they feel a
sense of belonging, and one of the easiest
ways to do this is to have a shared purpose.
But a lot’s changed in the last 12 months,
so it’s possible your vision, mission, or
values have shifted. Even if this isn’t the
case, remind your team of your purpose,
and by doing this collectively you know that
everybody has had the same message.
In the lead up to opening, you’ll also
have some immediate goals and priorities.
If you let everyone know now what these
are, it means they can be more prepared for
them as and when they return. This enables
everybody to be working towards the same
goals and targets from the outset. This also
provides an opportunity for people to share
their ideas and input. Your team will often
have a different perspective, so give them a
voice, which in turn gains buy in and helps
them feel valued.
2. UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER
It’s likely that most people’s roles will have
changed to some degree, even if only
slightly. Help everyone see how they each
fit in and contribute to the overall purpose,
and also individual departmental goals and
priorities.
New roles and new challenges may
result in some people needing support,
so it’s good for everyone to know where
that support might come from. Who within
the team has the right experience, skills or
knowledge to support a colleague?
As you will have identified from the
one-to-one meetings, priorities for some
have changed. If this is going to impact
how or when people work, it can be useful
for others to understand this. If they feel
comfortable to do so, create an opportunity
for them to share this.
3. SPENDING TIME TOGETHER
Don’t let the lockdown prevent you from
doing things together as a team. There
are plenty of activities you can do online,
where people can work as a team. Anything
from virtual escape rooms, to horseracing,
to cocktail masterclasses or wine tastings
etc.
Whatever you do, the focus should be on
having some fun with colleagues. If there’s
some relevant learning to be had as a result
(such as wine tasting), so much the better,
but that shouldn’t be a prerequisite. You
can also use your outdoor space to get
your team together in person (naturally
maintaining social distancing and any other
government guidelines).
Taking part in a charitable event - be that
fundraising, volunteering, or simply raising
awareness - can be a rewarding way of
bringing people together to work as a team,
even if virtually.
Remember to celebrate what’s been
good about the past 12 months. Have any
team members achieved a qualification,
or marked a significant event, birthday, or
anniversary, but missed out celebrating
with others? What have you achieved
within the business: renovations, new
services, charity work, supporting key
workers etc?
IN SUMMARY
Recognise your team will be experiencing
a mix of emotions as they think about their
return to work. Start preparing them as
soon as you can, so they are ready both
mentally and physically. Listen to concerns,
answer their questions, and ask for their
input so they feel valued.
Bring your team together so they are
aligned and working together towards
a shared purpose. And remember to
celebrate and recognise your team’s
contribution to your successful re-opening.
Good luck.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caroline Cooper is the
Founder of Naturally Loyal,
and has over 30 years'
training and development
experience in hospitality.
Recognising that managers in
hospitality often get promoted into
positions without much training, her key focus
is on developing newly promoted and junior
managers to lead and engage their teams
effectively. You can download her free A-Z of
Managing People at
www.naturallyloyal.com/oaba2z
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