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managers out of their comfort zones. Part
of this can be attributed to juggling the
responsibilities of work with family duties.
This might even include doing homeschooling.
And then there is the physical
distancing from team members that must
be accounted for. This will be a true test
for managers – requiring a very thoughtful
balance between trust, control, structure,
flexibility, empathy and results.
As managers, we should keep our focus
on enabling three major success factors in
our teams: productivity, collaboration
and engagement.
In terms of productivity, there needs to
be a shift in managers’ thinking from
intensity of visible activity and busy-ness
to an outcomes-based way of driving
momentum and progress towards delivering
results. Because employees are no longer
sitting with their teams, there is the risk
of a loss of clarity or focus on what each
person is supposed to be doing as well as
an inability of managers to have the kind
of visibility that they may have been used
to. For younger, less tenured team members
who are not used to shaping their daily
responsibilities, this will be a challenge.
These individuals will need real hands-on
guidance on what they must achieve daily.
Of course, managers must be cautious not
to micro-manage but to instead create an
environment that mimics what happens at
an office in terms of availability of seniors
in the team, structured check-ins and
accessibility of coaching.
For more experienced and senior members
of the team, remote working can be a dream
in terms of more productive working and
thinking time. But it can be difficult to focus
this time on the right priorities or maintain
the intensity and urgency when the physical
proximity to the problem is reduced. This
group will require a very different approach
from managers that involves vividly painting
the vision for the expected outcome and
deadlines for achieving it but allowing the
team member to shape their path and
routine for getting there (again much like
you would manage a senior in the office).
Working together
Collaboration, communication and
engagement are connected in many ways.
Tarryn Swemmer, Group HR Executive,
Decision Inc
For extroverts who enjoy engaging with
co-workers, the isolation of working remotely
could become very frustrating. For more
introverted personalities or those who are
still developing their confidence in group
settings, the danger is to retreat and avoid
vocally contributing in virtual team meetings.
Managers need to step into the shoes of
their team members and try to imagine
how they are likely experiencing this. The
challenge is to be hyper-aware of the nonverbal
dynamics at play, be empathetic,
maintain open lines of communication,
schedule opportunities for collaboration
and make every effort to start and end
these meetings with the informal personal
elements of conversation that would
usually happen at the water cooler or coffee
machine. For team members who are not
naturally being included, it is the role of the
manager to engage one-on-one and expertly
facilitate the group discussions to allow each
person a platform and space to contribute.
Furthermore, the temptation to over-rely on
email for collaboration and communication
must be avoided – email is great for the
follow up but makes it very difficult to
have any of the more casual and human
encounters. Rather do a quick video
conference to talk to team members.
Consider using more interactive activity
planning and monitoring tools. This helps
build engagement and can help keep the
team spirit and energy going while people
are working remotely.
A more light-hearted, but important element
of engagement is to ensure that your team
members still have fun while working remotely.
Over 70% of people report experiencing less
stress when working remotely and over 80%
of people consider the opportunity for remote
working as an important factor in retention.
But it can also be less enjoyable. Teams need
to find their own unique way of connecting
and laughing together, even when they are
working virtually.
Accelerating lasting change
Productivity, collaboration and engagement
– these three cornerstones will be essential,
both if the lockdown continues past the
proposed 21 days but also in embracing the
likely accelerated long-term shift to more
virtual and flexible working models.
It all comes down to managers and those
with seniority in the team to find ways to
benefit from the potential productivity
efficiencies and retention upsides of their
teams working remotely while maintaining
and fostering the energy and magic that
comes from collaboration and inclusive
human interactions. It is about harnessing the
power of the right mix of digital interactions
and fostering the outcomes mindset in your
team that will help everyone work better.
Following this crisis, the traditional way
of working will be a thing of the past. Yes,
companies might see a return of employees
being physically present in the office but
it will likely be on a more flexible basis.
Those who showed they can be efficient
irrespective of their location might very well
be able to continue in such a capacity. The
benefits on efficiency, retention, wellness,
cost savings and access to untapped talent
could be significant for those companies that
maximise this opportunity. •
“
FOLLOWING
THIS CRISIS, THE
TRADITIONAL
WAY OF WORKING
WILL BE A THING
OF THE PAST.
20 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com