Introduction
At the moment, the entire globe is consumed by fears regarding the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many employees must be isolated, closed, or work remotely as required by the local authorities to minimize the spread of the virus (Wolor et al., 2020). Meanwhile, some organizations function with a track of staff shifts or are turned virtual to continue making money from the company. The coronavirus outbreak poses a motivational issue for the company’s workforce. The pandemic’s rise necessitates that organizational leaders embrace successful strategies and concepts that foster teamwork, such as system thinking, team learning, shared vision, and mental models.
Systems Thinking
Systems thinking is a discipline for identifying the underlying structures of complicated circumstances. It may be defined as people’s ability to study an issue as its whole, taking into account all of its interconnected aspects (Arnold & Wade, 2017). It offers an insight into system behavior, which is not a measure of individual components but how they interconnect within an organization (Arnold & Wade, 2017). Competences are fundamental personal attributes that influence a person’s ability to perform well in a profession or circumstance. Individual competencies encompass interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and systems thinking, contributing to personal and organizational success (Arnold & Wade, 2017). Leaders must ascertain the skills and abilities that individual employees possess inside their firms, particularly in light of the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. For example, certain persons may be skilled and knowledgeable in telecommunications and may be able to assist other employees in this area. In terms of individual capabilities, leaders require systems thinking to identify individuals whose actions would impact. Leaders should integrate system thinking by teaching the employees and making it a mandatory skill to cope more effectively with the continual changes brought by the pandemic.
Systems thinking serves as the unifying force across the organization, capable of shaping the institution as a whole system composed of diverse structures of interconnected behaviors. Systems thinking may assist individuals in better comprehending the changing interactions between the many elements of organizational structures. The use of systems thinking influences organizational learning and transformation. It emphasizes its critical role while planning strategies for the organizations. Individual and professional advancement programs based on systems thinking are beneficial in various companies (Arnold & Wade, 2017). Numerous firms offer systems thinking education to their employees to enhance their performance.
Team Learning
Team learning involves aligning and strengthening a team’s ability to provide outcomes to its members. If a company is made up of brilliant people who are unable to work together, their commitment to achieving organizational objectives will be severely constrained. Team commitment is the first prerequisite for team learning. Each member learns collaboratively and demonstrates a degree of collective knowledge. If people lack a common vision, they cannot secure the formation of competent teams (Koeslag-Kreunen et al., 2018). Team learning cannot occur in the absence of individual involvement and team commitment.
Additionally, in a certain study, empowerment, conversation, inquiry, and an internal and continuous learning mindset were favorably associated with a good team learning organization culture. Employee empowerment involves workers at all levels participating in joint decision-making and responsibility. This technique instills a desire in workers to learn new information in order to make more informed judgments. Inquiry and dialogue are the ability to articulate one’s viewpoints rationally and to listen to and enquire about the viewpoints of others (Koeslag-Kreunen et al., 2018). Logical reasoning and discussion foster critical thinking and result in the development of logical and acceptable answers to a variety of circumstances. Team learning is important, especially in managing the emergence of the COVID-19 virus. Most employees are afraid to work to their full potential because their lives are at risk due to a lack of protective gear against the virus. As leaders develop team learning within the system, they should also consider their employees’ desires to work in a disease-free workplace that adheres to all preventative measures.
Mental Models
It is possible to think of a mental model as a system of connections between ideas in one’s mind. As a result of the knowledge preserved in mental models, people are capable of interacting more effectively with their surroundings. Predictive power is provided by team mental models, which impact teamwork and enable team members to make correct collaboration and task performance projections (Arnold & Wade, 2017). A team mental model is particularly important in emergency circumstances because it allows participants to foresee and begin the flow of information and necessary assets when there is little time for formal communication.
Shared Vision
Developing a shared vision should commence with a dedicated personal vision. There is proof that may achieve alignment between organizational and individual visions (Wolor et al., 2020). Additionally, effective leadership may assist organizations in establishing a shared vision. Leaders who motivate people always have unique ideas and a strong dedication to great principles (Wolor et al., 2020). They are continually on the lookout for new information and possibilities that will assist them in realizing their goals. For instance, managers may want to create inclusive and diverse teams aimed at increasing the organization’s production. A diversified collection of individuals is more likely to offer a variety of opinions and suggestions to the table (Wolor et al., 2020). Furthermore, leaders should establish an atmosphere in which the autonomy of teams is valued while making choices. With a broader viewpoint, one may make better-informed decisions. Leaders must provide a solid foundation and platform to create a common vision. They must maintain both actual and perceived consistency without being too regulated, scripted, or authoritarian. Additionally, they must value the growth and dissemination of innovative approaches.
Leadership Strategies
Leaders should engage pivotal stakeholders and form liaison teams. When many external and internal organizations are tasked with resolving the same challenges, achieving a coordinated strategy and function in unity is crucial (Wolor et al., 2020). Individual points of contact should be established for each member of the team so that they can cooperate and communicate effectively with other important stakeholders. For example, leaders should appoint command-level officials to local or state agencies, such as state disaster management agencies, to facilitate cooperation, communication, and responsibility execution.
It is critical for leaders to keep perceptions of inequity to a minimum. Throughout the COVID-19 crises, staff will continually assess equity. Assignments and leave rules, for instance, will all be areas of comparison for fairness. COVID-19 epidemic saw organizations implementing emergency shift rotations that required people to work from home and the maintenance workers on call (Wolor et al., 2020). To retain a sense of equality, leaders should convey choices to workers in a proactive manner and enable them to participate in decision-making to the extent permitted by the context.
Barriers and Risks to the Strategies
While teamwork is often emphasized in organizations, maintaining a cohesive team atmosphere conducive to efficient cooperation may be difficult. Collaborating with various team members demands experts to possess good communication skills to establish rapport with coworkers, articulate their ideas, listen to colleagues, and transmit expectations. Communication breakdowns may leave team members unclear about goals and their respective duties. Teams may make a concerted effort to improve their communication skills in order to close these gaps and interact more successfully (Ford et al., 2017). Additionally, a team should not be overly large since individuals may have difficulty sharing responsibilities and determining which part to perform. To prevent group size-related hurdles, Leaders may choose to limit experts assigned to each group and ensure that all employees comprehend their designated roles. Small teams often have greater opportunities for interaction, developing good relationships, and fairly sharing duties.
In a collaborative context, it is common for one team member to assume a greater degree of ownership and control decision-making tasks than the others. This unequal atmosphere is often the consequence of some group participants favoring an independent approach. By decentralizing operations and ensuring equitable participation from all group representatives, teams may overcome inequitable decision-making processes (Janssens & Steyaert, 2019). Finally, some workers find it more convenient to work individually than in a group setting. Despite this, companies may reap significant advantages from collaborative work. As a consequence, recognizing and rewarding teamwork is critical for firms. Employees who cooperate and achieve high-level goals may be rewarded with cash rewards, recognition, and extra overtime pay, which the group and management can use to encourage collaboration.
Conclusion
Employees should decide to continue operating to satisfy their daily necessities despite the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To practice organizational leadership, managers must convey an enticing and inspirational vision shared among the employees. This vision should serve as a reminder to members of their mission and shared objective while also listening to personnel viewpoints in order to address difficulties. Managers must cater to the specific interests of their workers simultaneously. The present epidemic puts managers in a situation to alter their businesses and teams and establish trust.
References
Arnold, R. D., & Wade, J. P. (2017). A complete set of systems thinking skills. Insight, 20(3), 9-17. Web.
Ford, R. C., Piccolo, R. F., & Ford, L. R. (2017). Strategies for building effective virtual teams: Trust is key. Business Horizons, 60(1), 25-34. Web.
Janssens, M., & Steyaert, C. (2019). A practice-based theory of diversity: Respecifying (in) equality in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 44(3), 518-537. Web.
Koeslag-Kreunen, M., Van den Bossche, P., Hoven, M., Van der Klink, M., & Gijselaers, W. (2018). When leadership powers team learning: A meta-analysis. Small Group Research, 49(4), 475-513.
Wolor, C. W., Susita, D., & Martono, S. (2020). How to maintain employee motivation amid the COVID-19 virus pandemic. International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), 8(4), 78-86. Web.