The Great Re-imagination and its Impact on Teams

There is no greater example of people reimagining their daily work lives than the men and women of Ukraine. Today, we see farmers, shop owners, teachers, and truck drivers standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainian military soldiers and Members of Parliament transformed into grassroots ground troops in defense of their country. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia's Vladimir Putin has stopped everyday people from pursuing their careers and dreams, and his misaligned agenda has forced many Ukrainian workers into an unwanted new normal. Their bravery and resilience are an example of a united people working as a team to protect and defend something greater than themselves, and I have seen no other instance of a stronger team than the people of Ukraine. While this article focuses on what is known as "The Great Re-imagination” in the context of workers reimagining their careers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unimaginable has occurred in Ukraine, and there is no more significant or lasting change impact on people’s lives than war.?

The place we call home has become a new workspace for many of us. Working from home where office space may be at a minimum, can feel?challenging and somewhat invasive.[1]?Once a haven for peace and rest away from the hustle and bustle, workers are trading a 30-minute commute for 30 minutes of extra sleep and comfortable clothing from the waist down. Yet, the blending of home and work life may not be the best thing for everyone, especially for employees who prefer onsite work. The COVID-19 global lockdown gave people time to?rethink their work-life, and over the last two years, new ways of working have caused many?people to re-evaluate?what they want most out of their careers.[2][3]?With statistics ranging from?40%-70% of workers?re-evaluating their jobs, it is no wonder that employees are rethinking their plans.[4]?Simultaneously, this start-up-style work environment allowed many employers to review their people management plans and asked leaders to maintain productivity and retain talent in a widely unknown world.

Almost instantaneously, the re-imagination of our work lives became a 2021 trending topic, and the things we only discussed among friends defined "the new normal." From the first articles about people reimagining their careers to employees requesting permanent remote work, major organizations had a dilemma of whether to scrap their expensive office real estate for supporting "the new normal." The sense of accomplishment from having a corner office with a view was depleted. Americans and American-owned businesses are known for their "work hard, play hard" mentality, so for American companies to offer employees permeant remote work was a big deal. Now, 35 American businesses are participating in a?global pilot?for a 4-day work week, with many Americans favoring the idea. Today,?approximately 1,700 jobs?are advertising a 4-day work accommodation.[5][6]

At the start of the pandemic, businesses and employees felt the burden of lockdown in many ways but most significantly through an increase in?unemployment rates.[7]?Many companies globally shut their doors and were forced to furlough employees, some never reopening. Yet, with government aid, some businesses leveraged remote work to their benefit and saw?record growth.[8]?The shift to remote work generated a surge in employee efficiency; a flexible work-life balance empowered workers to manage their time and grow results independently. Yet, a tipping point emerged when previously onsite workers wanted permeant virtual accommodations.

Meanwhile, workers that always had remote work accommodations before the pandemic experienced a more even playing field.?The Great Resignation?can be summed up like this: COVID-19 lockdown empowered workers to focus on generating positive [financial] results and less on what they were wearing, who would see them, and the added stress of physically being in the office, and with strong results, businesses began to increase hiring. An increase in hiring generated more job opportunities, and more job opportunities drove an increase in competition for top talent. With an increase in competition, companies began to spare for top talent, mainly with higher compensation and benefits packages. Thus, a high rate of attrition occurred in global job markets. Texas A&M professor Anthony Klotz coined this relatively quick as?The Great Resignation, "The pandemic forced [people] to take stock of their lives and allowed them to reimagine it." (Fox, 2021)[9]

The Great Resignation?was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is the parent of?The Great Re-imagination.[10]?The business world has been rattled and forced to awaken to?the new normal. Interestingly, it has taken a global pandemic and two years of lockdown for some of the most innovative companies on the planet to shake up their mode of operation to compete with start-ups?offering remote work?accommodations since their inception. Some lessons are learned the hard way, but businesses still holding onto the past may find themselves [once again]?on the losing side.[11][12]?Companies that resist change may face the inevitable – remote work popular and may be here to stay.?

Companies with in-person cultures felt the burn in early 2021, so many have decided to?embrace remote work.[13]?Leaders who thrived on micromanaging their people were challenged to adjust their onsite learned behavior. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed behavior that impacted employees so much that employees didn't want to return to the office. Many leaders faced their inner demons of?learned habits?from an in-person work environment.[14]?Some leaders exhibited anxiety over not being in control of their employee's physical location and sought greater attachment to their employees through an increase in meetings and constant status checks. This behavior?increased stress, anxiety, and burnout among employees, leaving them frustrated and tired, which impacted teams with employees cognitively dethatched from the mission. And employees sought refuge in new opportunities with the hope of a better culture and leader management style.[15]??

During this time, leaders tried many?linear approaches?to fix the growing problem presented by remote work but change rarely occurs from one direction.[16]?Leaders tried reducing the time they gave employees to adapt to change and some avoided modifications altogether. Leaders traded a thoughtful, gradual change management approach for a meeting-filled, white-knuckled one. While there is a case for?in-person work, many workers preferred to virtual work with better psychological safety.[17]??

The hardship for those transitioning from in-person to virtual work exposed the great leadership divide, those who flourished in virtual work versus leaders who thrived on micromanagement – pacing behind people's desks to see their computer screens and nervously checking in on deliverables. "Micromanaging is a bad idea on any team, but for remote teams, it is an absolute deal-breaker." (Menabney, 2020)[18]?Likewise, employees who struggled with an?independent work style?felt overburdened and isolated – needing social interaction from onsite work or requiring leaders' direction and approval to feel fulfilled.[19]?However, virtual work may have benefited both profiles; virtual work required leaders to shift their management style to be more empathic toward their teams, and teams learned about new ways to collaborate to achieve business goals.??

Yet, while people were reinventing themselves,?team dynamics suffered?during the COVID-19 pandemic.[20] Some people were stingier with their time, while others found pathways for greater engagement, while others wholly detached from their known state and left team members stranded from delivering as usual. Once a?high-performing team?is formed, it is difficult to replicate and even more critical to secure.[21]?Leaders noticed workers separating from their teams and had to act quickly to stop the retreat and jumped for the lowest hanging fruit, like scheduling a one-off team event, but it wasn’t sustainable in the long run.?

Given the record-breaking job market, leaders found it challenging to recruit and retain talent. Workers heard the job market was "hot" and began to seek greener pastures where greater flexibility, higher compensation, and improved management styles could be found. Conversations about higher wages and people changing jobs began to spread like wildfire. Leaders re-evaluated their hiring practices, benefits and compensation packages, and leadership styles to withstand the rapidly changing tide. To help manage the repercussions of a post-pandemic work environment, there are a few tips to consider:

• Compensation/Benefits recognition?rules all. Pay equity and fairness in the workplace has been?debated long before?the Pay Equity Act of 1963, and better?compensation matters most?to workers irrespective of a global pandemic.[22][23]?While internal recognition programs support a healthy culture, nature, and the world's ways demand money to improve daily lives. The best way to retain top talent is to show appreciation through equal and fair wages. Keeping in tune with job market rates will attract top talent and retain high performers.??
• Exceptional leadership qualities?are possibly the most essential?character, and behavioral traits?employees look for when reimagining their work lives.[24]?The #1 reason workers say they stay at their organizations is people; this response directly includes their leader. A leader must have a strong repour with their employees; if leaders can use their intelligence, experience, and charisma to engage workers, they are far more likely to influence workers to stay in their job.
• Build a positive culture?centered on diversity, collaboration, recognition, advocacy, and fun. Like a good recipe, leaders must have each of these ingredients to sustain people. More meetings and a tighter grip will not help leaders retain and maintain talent. A workplace where people feel?accepted and empowered?to do great work with the correct number of challenges and authority to motivate them is essential to retaining talent.[25]
• Create an enviable work environment?with a?hands-on approach.[26]?An off-the-shelf approach to people management won't deliver in the long run; leaders willing to create unique experiences for workers will succeed. The competitive market is a game-changer for leaders and workers, but workers won't follow leaders who won't show them the way - there are too many options available to them. The age-old adage of 'lead by example' applies; if leaders are willing to bump elbows, dig in, and embrace the new normal, then they will continue to see positive results.?
• Strengthen relationships?through acceptance, transparency, and vulnerability. Failure is one way we learn – think about touching a hot stove and learning never to do that again – so leaders must reveal stories about their [failed] experiences to relate to their teams.?Taking three steps?to foster great relationships is vital: Embracing one another, allowing for physical space, and paying close attention to human needs will improve virtual work relationships.[27]?Having regular conversations that are not frightening but natural and relatable will bind even the most introverted people together. Making employees feel like the meeting time limits are all they have will not inspire people to stay, which means leaders must learn different leadership skills and reprioritize their ways of working.
• Use re-imagination for good.?Broadening personal horizons and self-reflection is a good thing. Using?imaginative thinking?to drive positive change can affect organizations that need to evolve.[28]?Ultimately, if an someone has taken the time to self-reflect and realizes there is no path forward for them, they can acknowledge it and explore the possibilities available. A great leader will recognize this in their employees and partner with them along the way.

For a leader to succeed in this environment, they must?have a plan?that entices new talent and recognizes existing talent.[29]?This plan must be?

1.?????Thoughtfully organized

2.?????Have buy-in from those responsible for its execution?

3.?????Be connected to the mission

Another critical component is for leaders is to be visible and vocal; it can prevent people from thinking there is no reason to stay. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a perfect example of a?visible and vocal leader?who has achieved enormous success.[30]?His steadfast nature and ability to create calm during an unprovoked invasion, as well as his use of diplomatic efforts and master-class of the 24-hour news media cycle has made him a rising war leader. Like the Ukrainian people, workers are unlikely to flea if they feel there are reasons to keep up the course. The?worst thing for a leader?to do is exhibit overconfidence or a nonchalant attitude toward people’s welfare.[31]?Arguably Vladimir Putin exhibits this behavior and he is widely unsupported perhaps even from his inner circle as reports emerged that advisors to Putin are?withholding information.[32]?A breakdown in reputation, peer support, and confidence threatens any hope of a leader’s success; it slows down production with worker knowledge going out of the door and prevents an achievement of business outcomes with new hire and employee learning curves impacting business as usual. The Ukranian people have shown us that they can learn quickly?under martial law?and achieve great success.[33]

On a personal note, over the last 20 years, I have watched someone close to me reinvent themselves, partly because they are bored and partly because there are so many ideas about what they want to achieve. The greatest lesson I have learned from watching them is that if they are not passionate about what they are doing, they won’t be fulfilled and will seek fulfillment elsewhere. If you notice your team members pursuing multiple "mini ventures" elsewhere, then the best tip that I have gleaned from this time is to have informal conversations about what they are interested in, apply active listening, and explore ways to bring them back to pursuing their dreams with you. Lastly, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and reimagining the possibilities may be the best exercise you have ever done for yourself and the people around you.?

#???????#???????#????????#

Sarah Dyer is a communications professional and thought leader who champions #BuildingStrongerTeams through Strategic Communication. She promotes her stories in organizations and on LinkedIn. She believes that each person and each team can drive lasting and value-adding change through strategic communication. She believes that when communication stops, everything stops. The views and observations expressed in this piece are her own and are not affiliated with any organization. #ViewsMyOwn

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