As the world tentatively returns back to the new state of normal, we look at the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees, and how positive leadership can lessen the impact on employees returning to work.
In our first article, McKinsey examines, in detail, psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and leadership in a time of flux.
‘We are living through a period of extraordinary uncertainty—about our physical safety, our economic security, and the daily conditions in which we will be operating for the next six, 12, 18 months or longer. One consequence: an undercurrent of emotional disturbance characterized by rising levels of anxiety, depression, fear, and stress. At the same time leaders are confronting these challenges on an individual level, they also are responsible for supporting a wide cross-section of people, all of whom have their own range of experiences, emotions, and resources for responding— and many who are paying a psychological toll that is still poorly understood.’
In our second article, Forbes details five keys to employee engagement as the economy reopens.
‘The coronavirus shutdown of the last few months has had obvious economic consequences and social and psychological ones as well. Physical distancing has disconnected us from routine interactions, including those in the workplace. As the economy begins to reopen, business leaders face the challenge of rebuilding connection and engagement with employees, all within the limitations of an altered new normal.’
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