Remote and Hybrid: New Workplaces and Tools, Same Old Paranoia
NEW WORKPLACES AND TOOLS SINCE 2020
Many of us have new places to work, along with some new tech tools, supposedly to help us have flexibility in our work, but some recent data is telling us the same old paranoia that was in the office has followed us home.?People Leaders would be wise to adapt these communications (think Slack, Teams, etc.) to the needs of the humans on their team, especially the ones working from home.?Remote and hybrid work environments have required new tools, but clear expectations are also needed.?Those expectations should be based on discussions about personal values and individual work/life integration preferences.?Leaders need to help people rethink communication as these new locations and tools are evolving.?Having discussions in a psychologically safe way will encourage people to be honest in sharing their personal values, and can also help leaders create strategies the whole team can implement in the new flow between work and life.?
IF you want help understanding what motivates the way people think within teams, read this .?
“PROFESSIONAL NOTIFICATION RESPONDERS” AND REPLY EXPECTATIONS
Synchronous communication (“sync”) happens between people in real time -?a conversational back and forth, where response and timing are critical.?The old way of using only synchronous communication in the office is long gone, and has been replaced with a hybrid style, with asynchronous (“async”) communication on the rise. ?Async communication happens when just one person (or one part of a team) is communicating at that moment, and not necessarily waiting for an immediate reply; timing is much less important here.?In our new world of remote and hybrid, expectations around communication can vary greatly. Leaders can help their teams gain clarity by clearly discussing expectations and preferences with each individual and team they lead. For some, it will mean rethinking how to communicate. We hope the chart below is helpful in guiding your discussions.?
In adopting async communication, the last thing we want to create are “Professional Notification Responders” in the workplace. Communication tools should not become distractions we are responding to immediately, every time a notification hits our devices. And while some generations can perceive async communication as inferior, there may be a benefit worth discussing. Async communication can allow for more time to process the information when an immediate response is not expected. Everyone processes at their own speed and in their own way. When team members can be more thoughtful in their response, and less distracted by the dings and pings of work, a better reply can be given. There is also an issue of constant interruption decreasing productivity and giving rise to digital anxiety and overwhelm.?Let’s say it again for the people who are “multi-tasking” (we hate that word, btw)?while reading this:?
We do not want to create Professional Notification Responders!
Microsoft is tracking?the digital intensity in workdays, and it?has dramatically increased since 2000.?
Woah! That’s a LOT of digital intensity and we should carefully consider everyone’s expectations and the unintended consequences of this, not only on workers, but on society. When “reply expectations” are not agreed upon, it will cause problems for a team.?Whether written or verbal policies work best for you, agreements need to meet individual’s needs, but still align with the values of the organization. Those agreements may need to change when new projects, new people, or new tools become available, so “living agreements” may work well. The delineation between work and home has been blurred with every peek into the background of a Zoom screen, so strategies will need reconsideration as each team and tool evolves.?
PRACTICAL HELP FOR COMMUNICATION METHODS
We used a Forbes chart to create our chart below, and we hope it can help People Leaders navigate a discussion around values and expectations in communication methods and timing. (Keep time zones and language barriers and cultural differences part of the conversation as well, if needed.)?
NEW COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATIONS
One way we evolve in our communication is by learning from the data. A Forbes article based on brainstorming data from Nature, indicates the best ideas are created when people are face to face. Once initial ideas are created, further work can be done virtually, but the initial idea generation happens best in person. And when those in-person meetings do happen, be human: be intentional about socializing and enjoying the time together. If you want professional terminology to make you feel better: social capitalism is worth investing in. For brainstorming sessions, we agree with Forbes on a merging of the two types of communication when leaders ask people to prepare: send 3 ideas in advance (asynchronous), then collaborate synchronously, preferably in person. Working through it this way can allow for more thoughtfulness in preparation, while still creating the energy dynamics of the face-to-face brainstorming session.?
As with brainstorming maximization, the world is trying to figure out how to merge two types of communication and still be meaningful and productive during these major shifts in the workplace. Only your team can decide what they value in communications and in life, and how those two should integrate. Only your team can decide how those individual values can align with the team and ultimately the values of the organization. New environments are creating new needs, but the values of the organization and the individual should still align, even when the communication methods change. Methods always change, mission doesn’t.
?SAME PARANOID MANAGERS
While we have new tools and new locations, we have some of the same old issues creeping into remote workplaces, namely, paranoia or lack of trust. We at Always About People (aap) see this issue across the US: a lack of trust managers have with remote and hybrid staff, when employees are not in the line of sight. We jokingly call it a “butts in seats mentality”, but it’s actually no joke, and we think it is worth exploring. Marketer Randy Murray coined the phrase “productivity theater”, back in 2013, to explain employees trying to look busy as a kind of performance for management. We think that same malaise has moved into digital realms. This felt need to see those seats filled with busy workers could be a lack of trust (and is most often perceived that way by employees). It used to be an in-office tension. It is now seen in attendance taking software, project tracking, required check-ins, and micromanagement, as well as employees signaling that they are working hard, with immediate replies or late-night emails. In fact, Qatalog and GitLab are reporting office employees spend over an hour online every workday, just making sure they are “seen”. That is over five hours each week, making sure they look productive, which is actually making them less productive. In the words of Charlie Brown, good grief! Add to this, about a third of all workers feel pressured to be visible to leadership, no matter what they are accomplishing. What kind of unintended consequences is this fueling??
领英推荐
If everyone appears very busy all day every day, you probably have a problem.?
Employees want to be trusted and valued, and if hybrid/remote employees know a manager needs to “see them”,?they can become one of those Professional Notification Responders we mentioned above.?The faster they respond, the more engaged and committed?they appear. This constant and immediate response to every ding and ping is leading to mental fatigue, maybe even “Quiet Quitting” , and is ultimately not sustainable for health and longevity.
It’s an updated digital form of the same 1900s dehumanizing Taylorism theory, counting the machinist movements of workers in order to be the most efficient cog in the modernists’ industrial wheel. We wanted to think we were beyond that, but apparently not. History is repeating itself in a new way. We’re falling back into old habits that are not serving us well. Of course, there must be accountability; we’re talking about something much deeper than that.?
SOLUTIONS (beyond that handy chart we made for you)
Instead, leaders could be helping people prioritize their work, while also aligning it with Mission, Vision, and Values. Helping people prioritize work helps them gain clarity, see their purpose, and shows you care. Wow, what a concept?! A personal one on one time with another human is helpful.?
Another solution that would require deep change is making some flexible work roles truly asynchronous. (Taylor would be rolling in his grave over that one!) We know that is a challenge, and will not be possible for most roles, but leaders should be aware that some companies are thinking about this term,?asynchronous work. It lets people work on their time schedule, when they are most productive or have the most availability. While there are obviously times when people need to gather at one place/time, could we even start making a shift to encourage some people to work during the times they are most productive, as long as outcomes are the same or better? If it is possible to consider this for certain roles, asynchronous remote work can greatly increase the appeal and advantages of remote work for some people. It may even be a recruiting advantage. But if you can’t be asynchronous, at least be honest about your expectations. Don’t tell people they have complete flexibility, but reward people who still do a 9-5, and punish people who do not. Have you ever seen the experiments with the monkeys who get different rewards for the same work? It’s hilariously not funny. Bottom line: if you’re going to offer remote positions, make them asynchronous if/when you can.?
?Idea: Some companies are getting creative if they cannot offer a completely asynchronous workday. They offer a window of time within the day that is asynchronous (like 11-2) and the rest of the day is synchronous, with an expectation of being available.?
AND WE’RE BACK
And this brings us back to setting expectations. It’s why clear expectations are not just important, but critical for the holistic health of people. First, hiring based on strengths for the role is the foundation for establishing trust and feeling valued. Then, leading with care and clarity and cultivating accountability over time, through one-on-one meetings , is the best way we’ve found for setting those communication expectations,?and for requiring accountability in the work. A one-on-one meeting can help answer questions like “how quickly do I need to respond?”, or “if an immediate response is needed, how should I communicate?”. The frequency of those meetings may need to be daily when someone starts a new remote role, but with time, that trust should be gained, and the follow-up check-ins (eyes on seats) should decrease. Our question to leaders would be, if after much time spent on care and clarity in one-on-one meetings, you still do not trust the person to do their job, why are they there? A different discussion needs to happen, and you need to help them find another seat on the bus or a different ride. But that’s a newsletter for a different day, so we leave you with these key thoughts:
The best way to set expectations is through regular one on one meetings, where people can feel valued, and trust can be built over time. Communication Clarity is always about people!?
Microsoft Work Index - great research if you want to dig deeper on this awesome stuff: