Comments from Brooke Cartus (on a break from video calls)

Remember March?

I know it feels like a decade ago.

As we shift from short-term virtual work environments to long-term plans, and even closing physical offices, I’m reminded of the energy our team had in March at ImprovEdge. As over 95% of our clients switched from in-person training to virtual training overnight, we worked more than overtime to make sure we showed up as improvisers to support our stakeholders at an incredibly uncertain time.

There’s a strong momentum that comes with crisis management. After the radical changes and 24/7 days, some CEOs reported feeling more energized than they had in years.

Yet, sustaining the energy from March seems impossible. Why is that?

According to the father of emotional intelligence, Daniel Goleman, “stress makes us stupid.” High levels of stress hormones coupled with adrenaline spikes mean HIGH levels of exhaustion that hit us in waves, and seemingly come out of nowhere.

So, how do you show up for your team as a leader, when you’re hitting a wall?

We’re relying on the simple, elegant behaviors that improvisers use to build trust and relationships:

• Connect: What can I learn by asking someone about their day?
• Lead with empathy: What can I do to see a situation from the other person’s perspective?
• Drop assumptions and ask questions: What kind, open-ended questions can I ask to learn more before offering an opinion or solution?

These tips keep us focused on the long-term for connecting with colleagues for productive, efficient work. In addition, here are two resources to support your team:

• ImprovEdge virtual programs are re-energizing leaders and teams in 60-90 minutes. Schedule a time to connect with me here to learn more
• Harvard Business Review gathered research about how leaders regress after the chaos of the spring subsided