ABA’s NextGenBakers gathered virtually for the inaugural Rising Leaders Roundtable of the NextGenBaker Virtual Leadership Series on July 14. Guest speaker Robyn Clark, Managing Partner of Winning Wise, led the group through a discussion on how teams are reacting to the ‘new normal’ of a working environment impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and shared tactics to not only lead them through it, but encourage a positive and high-performance mindset.
“We built this series to provide a forum for rising leaders to share best practices and challenges with peers while also learning new tips from experts like Robyn,” said Campbell Williams, NextGenBaker Co-Chair and Co-President of B.C. Williams. “Now more than ever, these conversations are so important. We hope NextGenBakers leave each of these virtual sessions with more ideas and a renewed energy about leading their teams through this new normal.”
In the roundtable’s small group setting, leaders from across the country were able to share their own experiences and lessons learned, as well as share best practices and identify growth opportunities.
Key Take-Aways
- Check in regularly with people – more than you normally would.
- Ensure that you take the time to connect with your team and that they are still connecting with each other. Creating a network of transparency and understanding can lead to high functioning teams even in a virtual setting.
- Set big goals can lead to bigger achievements, but make sure they are realistic, so your team does not lose momentum.
- If virtual is new to you, learn to trust your team in a remote environment.
- Be aware of what others need. Ask questions – Listen and show empathy.
- Establish priorities thoughtfully and often.
- Leave ‘crisis mode’ and take the time to develop clear goals for your team to achieve better productivity and trust.
- Get connected to the big picture – be aware of shifting company needs and priorities.
- Set aside time for yourself and ensuring that your team is doing the same.
What’s Next?
ABA’s NextGenBaker Virtual Leadership Series is just getting started. If you missed the July Roundtable, there are more opportunities to join the conversation, including:
- On August 11th, Caroline Logan from the McChrystal Group, is leading the Rising Leaders Roundtable. We’ll be talking about maintaining culture and motivation when working remotely to continue leading high-performance teams. Seats are limited, but still available. RSVP to Christina Donnelly.
- Robyn from WinningWise will be returning to the series on September 8th to take a deep dive into building high performance and effective teams – today and always. Registration is coming soon.
The entire series is complimentary to ABA members thanks to the generous support of our sponsors Platinum Sponsor BCW, Gold Sponsor SF&WB, and Silver Sponsors ATBI, Mother Murphy’s, and Society of Bakery Women.
