What CEOs Fear When Things Return to "Normal"
Merrick Rosenberg
Author of The Chameleon and Taking Flight! ?? CEO of Take Flight Learning ?? Keynote speaker ?? The Bird Guy in BirdBrains, Inc. ?? Which bird are you?
Since the pandemic began, I’ve spoken with more than 100 CEOs from small and midsized companies. We discussed how the coronavirus is impacting their business, people and culture. One common concern emerged from these conversations: What will happen when things return to “normal?”
CEOs shared that their people have acclimated to working from home - this both pleases them and scares them. On one hand, CEOs expressed deep gratification that their people were able to make the shift to working remotely and many expressed the sentiment that their employees “saved the company.” On the other, CEOs feared that people will want to continue to work from home even when it's safe to go back to the office. Very few of the CEOs were enamored by this idea.
Overwhelmingly, they expressed concerns about employee productivity while working remotely. The majority of them stated in one form or another, “My people believe that they are just as productive, and in some cases even more so, when they work from home. However, this is clearly not the case. I know what they were getting done in the office and they are not accomplishing anywhere near that at home.”
Many CEOs expressed the concern that once things turn around, they will forced to make a decision about whether people can continue to work from home or be required to come into the office just as they were before the pandemic.
The CEOs worried that this will put them in a difficult position. If they allow employees to work from home, productivity and the company will suffer. However, if they require them to come to the office, they become the bad guy who upsets the very people who “saved” the company.
As I talked with the CEOs, I noticed a pattern. Those with the direct Eagle and analytical Owl personality styles (who tend to focus on results and quality) were much more apt to say that they are going to require employee to return to the office. However, those CEOs with the social Parrot and empathetic Dove styles (who tend to focus on relationships and culture) overwhelmingly shared that they felt like they were in a quandary. They didn't want to do anything to upset their employees, but they wanted people back in the office.
It will be interesting to see how the CEO’s style will impact what happens when things return to "normal."
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4 年Merrick: Loved the leading edge view of the workplace, six months from now. What I noted most is that ALL the leadership birds want people back in the office, to drive productivity back to pre-COVID levels. How they approach it will be different. (Personality types - not for labeling, but for understanding!). Interested to know more about how each will approach the conversation. Working virtually 'feels' more productive some days, but those synergistic conversations are completely missing. Keep it coming - great stuff.
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4 年Great article!