When the 'soft stuff' became the 'hard stuff' and forced us to change how we work forever...

We are living in exceptional times. It is the second week of lockdown, and the reality of this new normal is starting to set in.  What is happening because of the COVID-19 pandemic is ‘Change’ in its purest and most visceral form. Whether we want it or not, whether we like it or not, how we work has changed forever.  

All of a sudden, the things we view as ‘soft’ have suddenly become really ‘hard’ to manage. Team meetings have become a logistical operation, chatting informally to colleagues requires planning and business presentations delivered from the kitchen table rather than the boardroom!

So what does that mean? Perhaps in all this uncertainty, we can reset and refocus how we work and engage with each other? Working from home is certainly not new, but the demands currently being placed on Organisations and its people are! Perhaps, it will help us refocus on where time is best spent and reconsider how best to engage with our people and customers.

Here are some of my thoughts based on my personal and professional experiences gained over the past few weeks:

Delivering change from my kitchen table

What if working from home became our ‘new normal’. Think about the pressure this would take off our transport systems and the environment and the benefits it would have on family life and social order. I’m managing my team from the kitchen table and homeschooling my daughter while my wife works in a hospital. I’m working longer hours, but I have a better life balance. I start earlier to make sure I can help my 8-year old prepared for her school day. However, I’m not travelling and as a result, spending more time with the people I love.

I’m lucky; I have a flexible employer and the infrastructure around me to make conference calls and an employment contract that supports this approach. Surely it is easier to invest in building this digital infrastructure around us than spending billions of pounds on bigger airports or longer and wider roads?

Activity vs Outcome - Focusing on what was delivered rather than the process of delivery

Perpetual motion had become the norm in how we live and how we work. However, constant activity does not equal value, and I am starting to appreciate the benefits of a different approach to day to day life. Similarly, Organisations who focus on the delivery of activities that drive a ‘hamster on the wheel’ approach to work will struggle more through the next six months more than most. It is the Businesses that focus on successful outcomes that will thrive.

In a Lockdown situation, you simply can’t micromanage from a distance; therefore, you need a different approach. You need to trust your people to do a good job. Who knows you might be surprised by how they respond to the challenge of a new, more flexible approach. To succeed, it requires a different type of management that focuses less on tasks and more on results and outcomes. It also requires a different level of responsibility and ownership from employees. This approach must be reciprocal and won’t happen over-night, but in truth, you don’t have any other options.

Good Engagement = Empowerment

We are all connected. We have our phones, Yammer, Outlook, Zoom, Kahoot and now House Party. Everyone is listening, but what are they hearing? Staff disengagement remains a challenge, but recent events offer us all an opportunity to do something different. The importance of engaging with your people has never been more critical, but current events have brought about a greater degree of personality and creativity to online interaction. This different, more natural approach can only improve engagement levels; for example, I wouldn’t have introduced my 8-year-old to a client mid-presentation three weeks ago!

As we transition back to ‘normality, the most effective leaders will have learned from this period and will adapt accordingly. They will use engagement tools as a mechanism to engage, encourage and empower rather than just to cascade and distribute messages from the top. A post-pandemic world needs a fresh approach. It requires more thought and creativity around how best to involve your people and empower them to take responsibility and control.

A people-focused culture is key 

‘Good Organisations’ put people first. They pause, keep calm and focus on their people. Are they safe? Are they coping, ok? Do they have the ability to work differently? I was very proud of how Kainos handled recent events and how they supported their people. It is very easy to panic and focus on cash flow and revenue generation. However, this is a mistake; the simple truth is that it is your people who drive revenue and growth!

Look after your people, and they will look after your Organisation. If your Organisation had problems before COVID-19, it’s only going to get worse. If your people struggled to connect with the goal and objectives of the business you lead, this will only increase the challenges you face. Good organisations thrive on adversity; others will go to the wall.

Finally

In comparison to the wellbeing of my family, my friends and the people I work with, the points raised are not important. I do, however, believe that the next few months will act as a catalyst for real and lasting change in how we work and interact with each other. It is my belief it will force organisations, our economy and even society to rethink what we value in delivering our work, how we learn and engage with each other.

Let’s get through the next few months, be kind to each other, and perhaps there is a silver lining to this scary and unpredictable situation.