Good can come from bad.

Resilience, for example, is built from hardship, uncertainty and the unfamiliar.

For business owners, COVID-19 has delivered all three in spades.

But, good can come from the bad in a post-COVID economy.

From a societal sense, Australians (apart from the odd politician and NRL player) have shown remarkable commitment to do what’s needed to get on top of the virus.

We’ve trusted one another and we’re getting the job done.

There’s a business lesson to be learnt here.

Your staff are among these committed Australians. And, like their commitment to country, give them your trust and they’ll repay you with commitment to your business.

Trust that they’ll get the job done, when no one is watching.

This approach is called self-determination theory. It comprises competence, connection and autonomy.

They know how to do the job you’ve employed them to do. They are competent and confident in their ability to do it.

They know that, even in isolation, they’re part of a bigger team striving for similar goals. They’re connected with their colleagues and the business.

The combination of the two leads to autonomy. They don’t need to be micro-managed. They know they’re trusted to get the job done.

It feels good to gain control over your life. And that’s what self-determination delivers.

If their job is done well, it doesn’t matter when or where it gets done.

This sense of freedom, mixed with clear goals and performance expectations, can foster loyalty to your business. Why would someone leave with such flexibility?

Maybe the lived lesson from COVID-19 is the death of the office-bound 40-hour week.

Or you could return to business as usual.

Dr. David Buttifant is a high-performance coach and founder of Resilience Builders.

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