Ask the Coach:
As coaches, we are often in the position to hear “the good, the bad, and the ugly” trends that include those persistent challenges that keep us up at night, distract our days and undermine our ability to understand and respond. Our hope is that these conversations will serve as practical examples for enhancing your leadership choices.
Q: “In the past year, I’ve been forced to manage my staff remotely. How do I keep in touch with them and stay on top of their work without becoming a micro-manager?”
A: In this new era, many of us have the additional challenge of “leading from afar.” When faced with this situation, it is best to go back to the basics of leading by results. Whether a staff member is working remotely or in your office, the focus of your efforts should be on the outcomes and not the process. As a high performer, you will be tempted to micro-manage the process. Outside of the obvious ethical and legal standards, allow your employees the freedom to do their own work and set their own schedules. We often hear from remote workers, “You hired me because of my character and skills, so please trust me to do my job.” We often hear from veteran managers of remote workers that “flexibility is the key.”
For additional support regarding this topic, please listen to our podcasts on Leading Remote Employees
Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. Due to the nature of this segment, any suggestions for consideration can only be general in nature and as such no liability is taken or implied by these suggestions for consideration given here or the use or misuse of any techniques described. It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice.
Q: “We have started the process of bringing our employees back into the office and my department of underwriters is expected to begin spending less time working from home. I have an employee that has challenged the need to be back in the office. Her position is that she can be every bit as effective working from home as she could be in the office. How do I coach this employee to see the bigger picture and help her understand that working from home was a necessity dictated by COVID-19 and is not part of our culture?”
A: I would begin by acknowledging her position. It’s a logical perspective and it’s probably true. But it's only one consideration. Another concern (and the one we hear most from our human resource colleagues) is “opportunity cost.” This is the hard-to-quantify loss of those “coffee bar” collaborations that we instinctively know help us make better decisions. In our gut, we know that working from home is costing us something, but what? how much? and for whom?
People have a psychological need to connect and collaborate. And, I’m not talking about those virtual “How’s it going?” or “Is that a Westie?” I’m talking about the discussions not governed by the clock or calendar. I’m talking about those over-the-wall and feet-on-the-desk conversations. The impromptu discussions that solve something or shed light on something tricky. Your employee may be underestimating her own value as a “go-to-resource” when working alongside her peers and colleagues. You might think about leveraging those perspectives.
My suggestion is to reflect on your own culture and ask, “What is the loss of our impromptu conversations costing us?" (i.e., in terms of decision quality and timeliness, comradery, and financial).
People have a psychological need to connect and collaborate. And, I’m not talking about those virtual “How’s it going?” or “Is that a Westie?” I’m talking about the discussions not governed by the clock or calendar. I’m talking about those over-the-wall and feet-on-the-desk conversations. The impromptu discussions that solve something or shed light on something tricky. Your employee may be underestimating her own value as a “go-to-resource” when working alongside her peers and colleagues. You might think about leveraging those perspectives.
My suggestion is to reflect on your own culture and ask, “What is the loss of our impromptu conversations costing us?" (i.e., in terms of decision quality and timeliness, comradery, and financial).
For additional support regarding this topic, please listen to our podcasts on Leading Remote Employees
Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. Due to the nature of this segment, any suggestions for consideration can only be general in nature and as such no liability is taken or implied by these suggestions for consideration given here or the use or misuse of any techniques described. It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice.
Q: “Now that people are physically back in the office, how do I help them maintain a healthy work-life balance?”
A: Work-life balance is extremely important to leading a happy and productive workforce. Flexibility is the key to this process. Listening and observing is also fundamental. By paying close attention to the challenges that your workers are facing, a manager is more capable in assisting their staff with solutions. It may cause us to be more creative and flexible with our suggestions.
Microsoft recently did a survey on work/life balance. The technology company, which has been surveying its own 150,000 + workforce, says the data shows that managers who take a more active role in helping employees manage work/life balance and prioritize tasks have the more engaged teams.
Microsoft recently did a survey on work/life balance. The technology company, which has been surveying its own 150,000 + workforce, says the data shows that managers who take a more active role in helping employees manage work/life balance and prioritize tasks have the more engaged teams.
For additional support regarding this topic, please listen to our podcasts on Leading Remote Employees
Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. Due to the nature of this segment, any suggestions for consideration can only be general in nature and as such no liability is taken or implied by these suggestions for consideration given here or the use or misuse of any techniques described. It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice.
Q: “Now that my employees are back in the office, I am sensing a bit of resistance. What do you recommend?”
A: As you are dealing with this issue, remember how humans process change. Typically, humans proceed through four levels – Denial, Resistance, Exploration, and Commitment. Depending upon where the employee is with this change, you will need to leverage different skills.
If your employee is in Denial, focus on building trust. Mutual trust and support is fundamental to helping them surface their concerns and begin to acknowledge the change. If the employee is in Resistance, ask them questions and listen to their responses. Identify the specific source of what they are resisting so that you can clearly define the problem(s) to be solved.
If your employee is open to exploring solutions (Exploration), give them direction and offer various workable options. Once in Commitment, offer your support and make sure the environment supports the solutions or options that have been agreed to.
If your employee is in Denial, focus on building trust. Mutual trust and support is fundamental to helping them surface their concerns and begin to acknowledge the change. If the employee is in Resistance, ask them questions and listen to their responses. Identify the specific source of what they are resisting so that you can clearly define the problem(s) to be solved.
If your employee is open to exploring solutions (Exploration), give them direction and offer various workable options. Once in Commitment, offer your support and make sure the environment supports the solutions or options that have been agreed to.
For additional support regarding this topic, please listen to our podcasts on Leading Remote Employees
Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. Due to the nature of this segment, any suggestions for consideration can only be general in nature and as such no liability is taken or implied by these suggestions for consideration given here or the use or misuse of any techniques described. It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice.
Q: “I’m struggling with presenting a solid business reason for having my employees return to the office. Any suggestions? ”
A: Realize that almost every position has both technical and relationship components. With the support of various technologies, employees have demonstrated the ability to fulfill the technical component from practically anywhere.
When presenting a solid argument for physically returning to the office focus primarily on the relationship component (Collaboration, cross-training, advanced communication, etc.) You may want to turn to the company’s vision, value, or culture statements to explore the relationship components. Most companies place a value on establishing collaborative relationships with clients and fellow professionals.
By focusing on both the technical and relationship components of the job, you present a solid case for successful completion of the “entire” job.
When presenting a solid argument for physically returning to the office focus primarily on the relationship component (Collaboration, cross-training, advanced communication, etc.) You may want to turn to the company’s vision, value, or culture statements to explore the relationship components. Most companies place a value on establishing collaborative relationships with clients and fellow professionals.
By focusing on both the technical and relationship components of the job, you present a solid case for successful completion of the “entire” job.
For additional support regarding this topic, please listen to our podcasts on Leading Remote Employees
Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. Due to the nature of this segment, any suggestions for consideration can only be general in nature and as such no liability is taken or implied by these suggestions for consideration given here or the use or misuse of any techniques described. It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice.
Past Publications
Here a few of our past publications: