{"id":11619,"date":"2020-04-04T15:11:01","date_gmt":"2020-04-04T19:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/?p=11619"},"modified":"2023-07-03T11:11:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T15:11:37","slug":"leading-from-home-guidance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/blog\/leading-from-home-guidance\/","title":{"rendered":"We\u2019ve heard of working from home, what about leading from home?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our New (Temporary?) Normal<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s now been about two weeks since many workplaces implemented radical changes and sent workers home to work. This means managers\/leaders have also started \u2018leading from home.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"leading<\/a>This transition would be hard enough if it were planned and voluntary, but the abrupt way that this has happened has been disorienting. Employees, business owners, parents, teachers and leaders are all adjusting to our new reality.<\/p>\n

\"leading<\/a>This article is especially for thought leaders \u2013 professionals and subject matter experts who people look to for answers: accountants, lawyers, economists, scientists, etc. This article is also for those in leadership positions who may have job titles such as Manager, Supervisor, Director, Director General, Assistant Deputy Minister, CEO, CFO, etc.<\/p>\n

Over the past weeks, I\u2019ve heard what some employers are doing, what\u2019s working, and what still needs some improvement. In this AudioBlog post, I\u2019ll share some ideas based on what\u2019s working and I\u2019ll suggest some other options based on applied research that I\u2019ve squeezed in over the past weeks.<\/p>\n

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Productivity & Expectations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although the dictionaries haven\u2019t caught on yet, the word productivity now has a new meaning.<\/p>\n

Many people who can work from home aren\u2019t necessarily \u2018working from home.\u2019 Many are actually \u2018at their home during a crisis and trying to work<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"leading<\/a>Sometimes this means hours of constructive work if\/when someone else can care for children or others who need our attention or support. Other times this means bursts of constructive work when we\u2019re not too overwhelmed by what\u2019s happening around us, or to us.<\/p>\n

In some organizations, as a result of limited access to the workplace computer network, productivity will be negatively affected because people can\u2019t logon to the network, it\u2019s slower than usual, or people are getting disconnected periodically.<\/p>\n

When leading from home, we need to remain mindful of the reality that despite our collective best efforts, productivity will be lower.<\/p>\n

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Workplace Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a previous blog, I noted that workplace culture is more complex than ever because of multiple layers of diversity including age<\/a> and neurodiversity<\/a>, better awareness around\u00a0mental health<\/a>,\u00a0and the impact of\u00a0toxic workplaces<\/a>. Now, we can add a new layer of complexity \u2013 moving workplace culture online. This is a huge organizational change that most of us didn\u2019t plan for.<\/p>\n

\"workplace<\/a>It\u2019s understandable that some leaders have been focused on the bottom line rather than the important but \u2018touchy-feely\u2019 issue of organizational culture. The fact is that any organization with employees who felt disconnected from their work now has new problems; whether it was because they felt unwelcome<\/a>, or threatened<\/a>, or that their career mobility was limited despite strong performance.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard enough to manage a modern workforce in normal times. Leading employees who are grateful to be out of the office because of how terrible they felt at work is potentially more challenging. Some people will thrive if they no longer feel scared of unpleasant interactions with workplace bullies. Others, however, may be so quietly traumatized that they will have a hard time performing while coping with what\u2019s happening around them.<\/p>\n

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Start Small and Start Soon<\/strong><\/p>\n

In some workplaces, this is the time to start mending fences and demonstrate that you value your employees. Start small and start soon. If staff have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or benefits that cover psychotherapy, it\u2019s a good idea to find ways to make sure that everyone knows about these benefits.<\/p>\n

\"leading<\/a>Whether your pre-pandemic workplace culture was idyllic or dreadful, our new circumstances are an opportunity to recalibrate. Finding ways to check in daily with your team or division is a good idea. Even if it\u2019s modelled after a 15-minute stand-up meeting for sharing short updates, learning about obstacles, or successes it\u2019s a worthwhile practice. It can help people remain connected and build the feeling that we\u2019re all in this together \u2026 alone. It\u2019s crucial to create opportunities for longer, more comprehensive meetings and collaborative work. Our shared circumstances are too dynamic and unsettling to rely entirely on email communication.<\/p>\n

Seek input from your staff on the best times to schedule these daily check-ins. Video is preferable so that people can see you and each other. It will also help people go through the steps of \u2018getting ready for work\u2019 even if their day will be shorter or more fragmented than normal.<\/p>\n

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Leadership Behaviours<\/strong><\/p>\n

The internet is awash in articles about \u2018working from home.\u2019 That\u2019s an important topic, but I believe that leading from home \u2013 especially so suddenly \u2013 needs more attention. Mastering the mechanics of video conference software and conference calls does not take much time. There are many YouTube explainer videos and articles that cover that information. \u00a0I\u2019ve included some at the end of this article.<\/p>\n

\"psychometric<\/a>When we\u2019re uncertain, most of us rely on our \u2018go-to\u2019 strategies and skills. This is natural and it often serves us well. When we\u2019re under pressure, distracted, exhausted, or feeling stressed out most people will display certain counterproductive tendencies — I call them blind spots. Under normal circumstances, these characteristics may even be strengths. In challenging times, these blind spots may impede our effectiveness and erode the quality of our relationships with colleagues, people who report to us, clients, and others.<\/p>\n

All professionals and leaders can gain a worthwhile perspective about their strengths and their blind spots by getting a leadership assessment<\/a> and related coaching (for more information about the value of objective assessments, read the whitepaper\u00a0published by McKinsey & Company Management Consultants). Once armed with the leadership assessment results, it\u2019s much easier to develop and implement strategies to work around these blind spots through planning and learning (e.g., listening to podcasts, watching videos, reading, on-the-job tasks\/assignments, etc.).<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s lonely at the top<\/a>, especially during these uncertain times when we\u2019re flying while building the plane. If things go well, we can expect some temporary breaks from this new normal while treatments and\/or a vaccine are developed during the next 12 \u2013 18 months. In the meantime, our employees, clients, colleagues, funders, and families are counting on us.<\/p>\n

This could be a good time for a leadership assessment, executive coaching or receiving customized training for your organization on leading from home. Please reach out by phone<\/a> or email<\/a> to find out more.<\/p>\n

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Resources for maintaining ongoing collegial relationships\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n