The other day, a manager asked me, how long do we have to keep being compassionate and understanding? When can we go back to the way it used to be? I laughed and said, “We may never go back to the way it used to be.” Even though the pandemic shows the first signs of waning, uncertainty still abounds. Leaders and employees across all levels of the hierarchy tell me they are worn out and burned out. McKinsey, HBR, Kron Ferry: the experts are telling us that compassionate accountability is here to stay. Some managers and leaders fear that compassionate accountability means not getting results—that it means giving in and weakening standards and deadlines. It doesn’t have to. [Read more…]