Cracks in the Infrastructure?

As parts of the world start to reopen, ATLAS Space Operations is doing the same – slowly letting employees back into the office adhering to appropriate health and safety protocols. We plan to be in full operation this week with our entire team in the office…safe…at a distance from each other. Hunkering down six feet apart like teenagers gearing up for the SATs. And just like there were adjustments to be made as we pivoted to work from home for a few months, we find ourselves now struggling to accommodate a “new normal,” or business as unusual.

When COVID-19 knocked down our door, the world’s systems and structures were tested and, not surprisingly, cracks emerged: disruptions in our supply chains, breakdowns in our communication flow, vulnerabilities in our technology. We moved quickly to meet these challenges and put solutions in place that not only helped us overcome, but adapt and innovate in how we manage our companies, our client relationships, and our teams.

But what’s come to light with our return to work is stickier, more complicated. It involves personal space, authority (over ourselves and others), and understanding. There is evidence of new stressors -- ones you may also be experiencing in your work place -- as interpersonal challenges emerge and preferences for process and protocol bump up against each other. It could be the pent up anxiety and isolation from months at home, and although we are all happy to be back to the office, these have manifested in some frustration and low-level conflict amidst the new pressures. Conflict that impacts productivity, engagement, and morale. And it needs to be addressed. Here’s how we’re working through it:

• Establish regular check-ins with the team; not long but critical. We touch base on how they’re feeling, what they’re struggling with, and what they might need from me (or others) to move forward.
• Determine a process for addressing issues; acknowledge, discuss, document (if necessary), and create an action plan for resolving, including checking in on progress.
• Facilitate a feedback mechanism; solicit ideas and suggestions from the team around how to make things better as we move through our new way of working.
• Continue with professional development. While the world may have been disrupted by coronavirus, career paths were not – and employees need to know that. This is also a good time to conduct mid-year reviews, (re)establish goals and role clarity (if needed), and align on any other outstanding issues.
• Celebrate our wins; take time to focus on the positives – big or small. We’re all inundated with difficult news every day. Recognizing and reveling in progress is essential.
• Be calm, be kind, and appreciate that everyone is going at their own pace. Some may have a more difficult time than others adjusting to wearing a face mask at work and being physically distant from their coworkers – or nervous about being back in an office, period. Showing compassion and supporting each other through this unusual time will help ease the tension.

We’re doing our best, just as I’m sure our peers and clients are navigating their return to work. But with every crack that appears, an opportunity for ingenuity and innovation follows suit. Trust in your people to do what’s right, and do right by them. #Onward.