Death to the Green Dot

Last week, while skimming Microsoft support threads for something unrelated, I came across a post that reminded me of a draining distraction that I had all but forgotten since setting out to grow my own firm... and that is the weight of chat platforms ruining the lives of professionals with micromanagers.?

The original post was inquiring about the difference between the Microsoft Teams statuses "on a call" and "in a meeting." There was no context, so I'm unsure of whether the inquiring individual was a manager or if they were asking in regard to their own status or another team member's status, but there are many reasons that I would argue that this question is eyeroll-worthy.?

Being worried about if your status dot is green to prove you're available and not some other color that may indicate that you could have been idle for too long is a toxic waste of energy and here's why:

1. The most efficient people have their entire day planned out before it begins. Being expected to be responsive and immediately available at all times for 8 hours a day is only going to derail their progress. Time blocking is not only one of the most effective ways of burning through a to-do list it's a great way to be proactive instead of keeping a running list of things to look into one day when you're not busy. Spoiler alert... there will never be a day when you're not busy, but that's a topic for another time. It's okay to turn off incoming requests to focus.?
2. The amount of time that your dot is green has no correlation with your productivity. If you're in sales and a majority of your day is being on the phone... Are you typing and moving your mouse the entire time or are you engaged in the conversation? Maybe you're into pacing while you chat. Both could leave you idle, but were you getting things done? Yep.?
3. If you decide to take your lunch break at 10:30 AM for a doctor's appointment or even a trip to the gym, and your dot goes red or yellow... does that mean you didn't work 8 hours a day? Absolutely not. It's your personal time and there is no reason to stress about incoming messages while you take care of your physical and mental health even if it doesn't always align with when others choose to use their personal time.?
4. If you kept your status available the entire time you were working and it was only 6 or 7 hours, does that mean you brought less value to the team than someone who was available and active for 9 hours? Without question, the answer is no.?
5. Dedicated staff know when they need to put in a little extra time to hit a deadline and don't need to be asked.?

I'm not advocating ridding the workplace of the convenience of a chat platform like Teams. In fact, I think it's a fantastic addition to any team when used with healthy boundaries. However, if you're using it to make sure your team is working, you might be doing it wrong.

Let's talk about what employees of every generation want and need that are disrupted by micromanaging:

• Autonomy
• Trust
• Flexibility
• Support
• Mentorship

If you packed your team with competent, mature adults, you're wasting your time worrying about what time they are online. They are going to be dedicated to getting their work done and hitting their deadlines. That's why you hired them.... right? There are better ways to promote productivity that require less of your time and less stress on your team members.?

Rather than focusing on the times that your team is working, set benchmarks, KPIs, and deadlines. Make these expectations very clear. Assigning these and laying off of the "are you logged in" mentality will shift your team's focus from appearing to be working to their actual productivity. Allowing flexible schedules is a great way to see a more energized team. Encourage your team to break for some self-care when they are feeling tired. A quick walk, yoga, or even a Power Nap could be just what they need to reengage with their goals.?

You don't have to say goodbye to chatting! If you have an especially collaborative team, but recurring meetings aren't quite enough, set availability windows where your team commits to being online for additional collaboration. The difference between always being expected to have constant mouse movement to stay available vs. a calendar block to answer any incoming questions about ongoing projects that can be planned around could make all the difference.?

In conclusion, make your goals align with the quality and quantity of work produced and not the number of hours it took to get there and when they occurred, and I bet you'll be surprised by the results and the improved wellbeing and happiness of your team.?

If right now you're thinking, "I could never trust my staff to come and go as they please and still get their work done," please contact me STAT, and I happily will connect you with one of the phenomenal search firms I work with in your industry because this is THE sign that you don't have the right players on your team. If you make acquiring and retaining driven professionals to take your team to the next level a priority, stresses like these will be a thing of the past.?

And just in case you are feeling a sense of unfinished business with this article, "on a call" is referring to being on a call using the Teams platform, and "in a meeting" could be any meeting on your calendar whether that be a block, an in-person meeting, or a call/meeting on another platform.

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