We learn and adapt, as we navigate through a new way of work on unpredictable times

The spread of COVID-19 has deeply changed the way we live and work and now, and as we keep physically apart, technology is holding us together. As we shift entirely to remote work, we are realizing that the adjustments we’ve made in our daily routine to adapt to what was once a temporary sudden, brief situation, will probably endure for the upcoming weeks.

At these unprecedent times, we are facing this difficult challenge of exploring ways to move forward without losing sight of our priorities. We are consciously staying safe, as we take care of our beloved ones and are present for our family and friends. We see and feel the impact of this global crisis in our communities, and the emotional toll upon us is evident.

Like all, my prime concerns about my family include my relatives in Spain, my son and my daughter at home dealing with a new routine. Day after day, we aim at establishing a healthy balance in our lives, to keep our minds sharp and to figure out a sense of normalcy.

Since remote work has become the core for business continuity, now is when our management skills and overall presence are even more needed to keep everyone focused and   on the same page. Teams and colleagues rely on us as leaders to pave the way, to coach and motivate them through all these changes, guide them as we navigate through a new way of working. The good news is, technology is on our side and it fosters creativity.

Be a leader that models, coaches and cares

As a company, Microsoft is rallying and working around the clock to meet expectations, expedite, escalate, and finally provide stability. To commit and step up to these values within all our customers and partners, big and small enterprises, we must lean on our growth mindset and enable an environment of constant learning for our teams.

We are already seeing how this new scenario requires new ways of approaching problem-solving from us. In this sense, I recall what we at Microsoft call the “Model, Coach, Care” culture of management, which calls for more inclusion and collaboration. It begins with me and you, by being an example of openness towards discussing new ideas and solutions. As leaders engage in such practices, employees will feel they count on a trusted framework to help them deal with difficulties and recover from setbacks.

To coach as a leader means to listen a lot, rather than simply give instructions, and for that, we need open channels of communication. In an environment such as ours, where conditions are constantly changing, we want to support people to be productive. And that is where Caring comes in: being responsible and following up close with our teams to know how they are doing and the kind of support they need now.    

Personally, as someone who used to spend up to 80% of my time travelling, this new reality is also teaching me new things. As I strive to avoid postponing things in my agenda, I am shifting a series of travels I had scheduled to Latin America countries into virtual visits and will carry on with them remotely so that we move forward as much as possible to cover the plans we had for the year and can connect with the teams.

I have found that it’s best to keep building team culture even when we are apart: meetings, conferences, brainstorms, presentations, even family reunions...they might seem difficult to pull off remotely at first, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep everyone connected and  not switching into “essentials only” mode.

Staying productive with remote learning  

Tech platforms are proving to be of great value to provide stability and security to the thousands of customers and millions of users that need to stay productive. From supporting first responders in the health sector to providing tools for educators to fulfill their academic cycles, harnessing the power of technology across industries is more crucial than ever.

I am very happy to say we are stepping up to this challenge through the tools we have available. From Microsoft, we have seen Microsoft Teams usage jump from 20 million users around the world to 44 million users daily.

Such critical infrastructure is enabling telemedicine for institutions like the St. Luke’s University Health Network in the United States, which is using Microsoft Teams to video chat with its most vulnerable patients, or The Johns Hopkins University, which created an  interactive dashboard to track COVID-19 cases in real time at a global scale.

Schools and universities around the world are also turning to remote learning to keep their courses on track, with institutions like the University of Bologna in Italy, a traditional institution with 900-plus year history, shifting 90% of its courses to Microsoft Teams within 3 days for its 80,000 students; or an elementary school in Japan which hosted its graduation ceremony through Minecraft.

In Colombia, Colegio Alemán from Cali had already started using Microsoft Teams for those who are not able to attend class, but now its whole system, even evaluations, are held online for its 900 students. And in Campana, a key industrial hub in Argentina, Ricardo Rocca Technical School is experiencing virtual classrooms for the courses focused on electronics and electromechanics, as its 400 apprentices learn and bond with peers and teachers through the tool.

All around the world people and communities are leveraging technology to remain connected and even nurturing a sense of belonging. I recommend not to underestimate even the small features - like turning on your camera - that can make remote work more interactive and inclusive. They are key to holding on to our human connections.

Go online just to chat, check on your colleagues and friends and share your own experience. I’ve been told that some folks at the office meet online regularly to have lunch together. Connect, talk about your day, have a drink at the end of the day. We are all in this together as we keep each other strong.