Being a campus leader during the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult, to say the least. Now, more than ever, your staff, students, and families are looking to you for leadership during this strange and stressful time.
While everyone is busy trying to figure out the logistics of teaching in a virtual world, please don’t forget to make the social and emotional well being of your staff a top priority. It can make all the difference in the world.
Here are a few tips to boost staff morale during COVID-19.
Do a Quick Pulse Check
Many of your staff are at home taking care of their own children and family members. They are trying to juggle keeping their own children safe, fed, and educated, while encountering a huge learning curve of transferring their lessons to a digital and online format.
Do a quick pulse check through a call, email, etc. to see how your staff is holding up. Ask how their home needs might affect their work. By being empathetic and flexible, you will communicate how much you value each staff member. That goes a long way in boosting staff morale.
Build an Online Community
If you don’t already have a place where your staff can meet and post virtually (like a private Facebook Group), now is the time to create one! We use a platform called Slack where employees can post to the whole group or create individual team channels for private group conversations.
This is a great way to keep your staff connected and communicating. Consider posting a Monday Motivation to kick-off the work week and a post to close out Friday.
Host Weekly Challenges
If you have an online community group, post an optional fun weekly challenge for your staff to participate in. Some examples include posting a photo of their remote workspace, posting a meme/gif that summarizes their life right now, or a photo of themselves wearing a shirt with a positive message.
Set Virtual Coffee Dates
Schedule a weekly meeting with your teams as a virtual coffee date. Keep it intimate and laid back. Show up in your pajamas if you want! This does not have to be anything formal⏤just provide a quick opportunity for them to share a small victory or something funny about their week. It’s important to maintain that face-to-face connection.
Have Fun at Online Staff Meetings
If you host a virtual staff meeting, have some fun with a Kahoot Trivia Game. Create a quiz related to something your staff loves, and watch them engage and compete for some lighthearted entertainment. If you can provide a small prize like an online gift card (or a package of toilet paper), that’s sure to keep your staff engaged!
There are so many ways to boost staff morale in this virtual space. It’s all about thinking outside of the box! The most important thing is that you are keeping your staff connected and supported during this time of isolation.
How are you keeping up your staff’s morale during COVID-19? Comment below with your ideas!
Join our Principal to Principal online community to share ideas and get resources!
Krista Peake is a Project Coordinator for the Center for Effective Schools.
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