Over the last seven months, I’ve seen and heard how different friends, clients and colleagues have been dealing with the challenges of remote working.
Now, we’re in a different space. Organisations are asking some big questions about how they work best with their teams or why they might need offices. Google announced that, as an organisation, they won’t be expecting people back into the office until next summer. Others are recognising that a hybrid approach, between remote and home working could be better for them and their employees.
And other organisations have already said (BP is one example) that they will be cutting down their office space. Others (like Netflix) want to have their employees in the office as soon as possible.
Whatever the approach organisations take, I believe this marks both a transformation in the way we work and, importantly, a shift in the way leaders communicate. Strong cultures will be fundamental in helping organisations survive and thrive and communication and engagement are key to this.
This is all great in theory but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the last seven months, it’s that people need practical ideas of what to do. So, here’s three tips that might help:
Think hybrid
I’ve worked with a brilliant leader who had non-negotiable time in the diary to regularly visit remote sites and spend time with teams, as she called it, “walking the customer experience”. One of the many things I learned from her was about getting your intention right and being clear on your objective from your communication, from the start. So, being approachable, finding out what’s going on to help improve things, and not just a tick box exercise.
In this hybrid space where you may have teams working both on sites and remotely, walking about is just as important as being online. Asking people for their inputs, inviting them for lunch and learns, giving them regular opportunities to ask questions… with or without a screen.
I’ll cover more about leadership visibility in another post, but these principles of being empathetic, authentic and listening are core to whichever communication approach you take.
Be intentional
I recently heard Bruce Daisley, ex-COO of Twitter and author of ‘The Joy of Work’ talking about the opportunity that this situation presents to leaders. He talked about being more intentional (see above). One idea he floated was getting teams together in a more intentional way in offices, so considering perhaps having ‘random’ days alongside ‘anchor days’ in the office, as well as working from home. People would not be in the office full-time but have the opportunity for those random moments of serendipity that I’ve heard people say they are really missing. Food for thought.
In the same way as being intentional about our cultures and office spaces, being conscious about how and what we communicate is key to bringing people along with us, whichever approach we decide to take. I believe this involves more planning and more thinking. In this situation, making sure we’re putting ourselves in the shoes of the person reading or hearing our communication is as important as testing it with a friendly audience, wherever we can.
Be real
There’s a heck of a lot going on for leaders at the moment. If you’re in that boat, although the ‘franticness’ of the initial crisis we all experienced back in March and April has eased, I’m guessing you’re still having to make some very big decisions. At the same time, you’re working to keep your team engaged and on board and your business going.
In this state of ongoing flux, you are not going to have all the answers. Being honest about that in your communication is key in any organisation change. Listening to your organisation, being willing to make mistakes (and making it ok for other to make mistakes) will really help. And, being compassionate to yourself and your teams will help you get through it.
Leaders will continue to face real challenges in their organisations but they’re equally facing some real opportunities. This is where good communication will be absolutely key.
This is a point of transformation for many organisations and it’s something that I know many are still pondering their approach to. Whatever they decide, those organisations that share their approaches to this new reality with and listen to their teams, I believe will be the winners in the longer-term.