The emerging art of remote leadership

Welcome to Week X of the biggest social experiment ever undertaken (with X depending on your starting point.) 

It will takes years to truly understand what mass “social distancing” is doing to our inherently social species. But I wouldn’t expect it to stick. One reason WFH never went to scale was people like to be around people. Just read the writings of the ancient hermits — every culture has them — who invariably failed to get people in big numbers to move to the desert or retreat to caves. 

Here in the 21st century, we’re still struggling to be post-modern hermits, especially on the work front. But while we’re at it, we can all learn from each other. 

I read this great piece from the Financial Times on the lessons of home-working. My takeaways:

1.  Social isolation doesn’t mean emotional isolation.

Smart managers are using every tool at their disposal to stay connected. Key is, you have to work at it. That includes getting teams the right equipment and right channels. Help people feel connected. It’s one reason Slack says net new paid customers grew by 9,000 in Q1, compared with 5,000 in the previous two quarters.

2. Remote leadership requires remote sensing.

We know remote learning, remote parenting and remote love require different approaches. So why would remote management be any different? If you’re a people leader, leave your office playbook at the office. Home-to-home management is more EQ than IQ, with an acute need for conversations and emotional cues that are very different, even on Zoom.

3. Work-life blurring is the new work-life balance.

The old WLB conversation doesn’t really work when we’re all in our pyjamas for team meetings. Yes, for some, the hours will be longer in a crisis. For others, they’ll just be different, and perhaps more erratic. You can help your teams, and yourself, with some clear rules. Set office hours, for instance, when everyone is expected to be available (and dressed, preferably). It can be as simple as 10-noon every morning. Everyone will work longer hours than that, of course, but at least they know those times are when it’s best to be calling or pinging. Also, declare hours and specify days where it’s tools down. 

4. Respect regional and cultural differences.

If you’re in a big organization, especially one that spans geographies, it’s possible your teams will have different approaches to WFH in different regions. Camaraderie isn’t expressed everywhere in the same way. Nor is privacy, to you Zoomers. Ask your teams what they prefer.

5. It’s a marathon.

Make sure you’re pacing yourself and your teams. Does that mean suggesting people take vacation days when you know they’re unable to go anywhere? Yes, if that’s what they want. And make sure you’re connecting more — not less — over time. As marathon runners know, the middle miles are the hardest, when there’s no beginning or end in sight. McKinsey’s global boss Kevin Sneader notes anxieties go up around the five-week mark, when people wonder if it will ever end. Unilever’s Leena Nair summed it up well: “The first two or three weeks, everyone is nicely adrenalin-fuelled. Everyone’s mission-driven; they’re working hard. The energy begins to dip when you’re 30 or 40 days into the journey.” 

Funny, that. The ancient hermits used to aim for 40 days in the wilderness. And then it was back to society. We don’t know how long this will last, but having a 40-day plan for your teams, with metaphorical water stations along the way, isn’t a bad approach.