There are two essential ingredients to maintaining morale during this “new normal.” First is the need to think about the “whole person” as we work together and serve each other. Everyone is under stress of different types. Employees often have family or home-related issues, and some people are just worried. Right now, we all need to listen, have patience, and care for each other, so everyone feels safe, supported, and heard.

The second is to “take a breath.” There are so many distractions, new programs, risks, and uncertainties at work that we constantly feel barraged by surprises. It turns out we can ignore much of this information, so it’s important leaders and teammates encourage everyone to pace themselves.