AMA VICDOC Autumn 2024 - Magazine - Page 36
Leaders need to view their team members
as people – with lives beyond work.
—
LEADERS CAN:
1/ REFLECT ON HOW WE
WORK WITH UNCERTAINT Y
& CHANGE
––
In a robust and healthy workforce, employees feel
that their workplace can accommodate short term
changes and modifications to support employee
needs. For example, if someone needed to suddenly
attend early medical appointments, or was for
a time unable to work on the COVID ward,
that this could be talked about without fear
of negative consequences.
Leadership skill
––
Practice a change-ready mindset; talk about how
‘we’ (as a team) can adapt to new situations and be
flexible and agile to meet change and uncertainty.
COVID has been a great teacher in this area – we
can learn from recent experiences of adaptation
to meet changing scenarios and predictions. This
will help with workforce engagement – earning
commitment and dedication, and support learning
and growth. When employees feel valued and feel
that leaders are looking out for them and their
future, they too can also plan for the medium and
long term and feel that’s it’s worthwhile to invest
in growth and development. While parents-tobe may not be willing to talk openly about the
challenges of pregnancy, they can see that their
workplace can handle additional demands, and that
needing changes, is not a major risk to their job.
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2/ BUILD SOLID AND
COMPETENT TEAMS
WITH CLEAR ROLES
& RESPONSIBILITIES
––
Clear team structure and roles support workforce
planning. It helps with selection and recruitment,
with professional development, and creates muscle
for team-level flexibility to accommodate changes
in responsibilities and duties. Workplaces have
many types of flexibility and need for short-term
leave (e.g., study leave, conference leave, long service,
carer’s leave for partners, families, aging parents,
sick leave, family holidays). Sometimes there
may be also a need to accommodate leave for
pregnancy requirements.
Leadership skill
––
Ensure you have an accurate map or plan of you
team, department, or area. Who is working in your
area? What is their role? What responsibilities are
attached to this role? Are there duties or roles that
aren’t covered or accounted for? Who is showing
talent and engagement in particular roles or tasks?
When and if people leave or move into another
role – who is in the pipeline or succession plan?
Many senior leaders are working on the strategic
planning that supports well designed collaborative
teams that can deliver a robust and sustainable
service. This strategic thinking and planning
means leaders have strong knowledge of their
workforce and can organise cover for roles in
a productive way.
