Silver Linings
The COVID-19 pandemic is chock full of challenges, uncertainty, and anxiety—but in the midst of it all many leaders and employees are able to find the silver linings.
Over the past weeks since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we’ve been listening carefully to what leaders and employees are saying, so we can better understand what they’re feeling, thinking, and experiencing. [For more on “strategic listening posts” check this out: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/tanya-mann-2325883_vuca-leadership-culture-ugcPost-6650143630365376512-aEy7]
Some of what we’re hearing is not a shocker. Most people feel concern for personal and family health and safety; anxiety about the return to work; and the strong desire to own a crystal ball that allows a sneak peek into the future.
Also in the “not a surprise” department, many people report feeling intense gratitude for, among other things, family and friends who are currently safe…remote work opportunities…continued employment…empathetic colleagues…and an assortment of small daily pleasures (that would probably, under normal circumstances, go unnoticed).
But here are two “silver linings” that really caught our attention…
§ Collaboration: Pre-COVID-19, for many groups, collaboration and “playing to win as a team” was an enduring pain point. Attempts to pull teams together and foster a collaborative spirit were often minimally effective at best—even when teams worked 20 feet apart, saw each other daily, and had leader support. So what happens when those same teams are WFH—even more loosely bound to each other? Strangely enough, many report that collaboration is thriving in ways it never had before—even though it’s now harder to do than ever! It seems that the separation has reminded people just how much they really do rely on each other to get things done. There's that, and perhaps the admirable desire to “show up as our best self” in a crisis.
§ Relationships: Lots of people are WFH and staying connected to colleagues and leaders via email, text, phone, and videoconference technology. WFH is a situation filled with unique comforts to be sure (e.g., your favorite sweatpants, easy access to snacks, and a 12-second commute to the office)—but there are obvious challenges too. Not the least of which are the distractions…some of which could be embarrassing when you’re on a videoconference. Anyone who’s worked at home for more than a day gets this (barking dog; child desperate for a snack; noisy lawnmower outside the window…).
No one wants their sometimes-messy life to distract the team on a call. But here’s what’s interesting—lots of people said they enjoyed seeing their colleagues in their natural habitats. They didn’t consider those things distractions. They liked seeing a colleague’s child in the background, or learning that Rob’s favorite cat sits on his desk all day. They liked being reminded that their colleagues have rich, interesting, sometimes messy lives too. They consider it a bond—not a distraction.
In one instance, a particularly intense senior leader’s direct reports commented that they loved seeing him working with his dog on his lap. It reminded them that’s he’s human.
Have you experienced these remote work silver linings, too? We’d love to know.
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