Last Updated: June 1, 2020

As we shift to a post-COVID world, while most still working remotely, Executives from all over are finding new ways to communicate with their teams to keep hope alive, increase positivity, and maintain productivity.

Kieran Snyder, CEO of Textio, suggests:

"Start meetings with a quick check-in. Invite everyone to share their current frame of mind in just a couple of words, giving space for any emotion that comes up. It can help recenter the conversation, clear the distractions that are in everyone's mind right now, and create a safe space for focus."

Lead with your own vulnerability. Share your own struggles, emotions, and questions. Showing your vulnerability makes it safe for the people around you to do so."

Focus on process, not just product. We can't always control business outcomes, but we can control how we show up. A team whose members show up with the right collaboration, resilience, and system for learning is a team that succeeds in the long run. A great question to help reinforce this is: What did you/we learn this week?"

Dan Lewis, CEO of Convoy, shared these recommendations:

• Emphasize two-way communication and ask for feedback - It’s easy to issue broad, one-way internal communications. Creating an environment with open, two-way communication is much harder. In our weekly company all-hands, our leadership team devotes 50% of the time to live, unmoderated Q&A. I also hold weekly ‘pit stops’ with leaders from across our business (it’s a different mix of people each time), and employees regularly slack or email me directly with feedback or ideas.
• Use this as an opportunity to connect on a more personal level - The line between work and life is more blurred than ever and working from home opens up fun new ways to learn about each other. I’ve really enjoyed meeting Convoyagers’ children, checking out their backyard views, and even rumbling through junk drawers as part of a virtual icebreaker. In my vlog to the company, I often include stories from my own life, such as my daughters’ remote learning experiences, as another way to empathize with my fellow working parents at Convoy.
• Set the expectation that video is on by default for online meetings - Zoom has been a great asset in our overnight transition to working from home, but it’s difficult to pick up on nuances such as body language and tone in a video call. That’s basically impossible with audio only, so we encourage everyone to turn on their video if possible, and welcome unexpected surprises like meeting a pet or a child in the process.

Rich Barton, CEO of Zillow, suggests:

1. Communicate often with your employees. Be open and transparent where you can. It’s critical to use channels like email, instant messaging, and videoconferencing tools to stay connected. Reach people where they are.
2. Put people first. While it’s important to focus on your business health, openly discuss employee health to normalize caring for each other. We work as a team and our ability to perform as a team through change and uncertainty is key to strong organizational health.
3. Lead authentically. This is a time to be a bit vulnerable with your teams.
4. Rest and recharge. We gave employees at Zillow Group an extra day off to rest and recharge, making time to take care of themselves and their family. Physical and mental wellbeing are very important.

Xiao Wang, CEO of Boundless, recommends flexibility and experimentation: