Leaders- Let's do better

Let’s be honest, we’re all sick of hearing about the pandemic and post-pandemic landscape. Traditional and social media engagement on COVID-19 has begun to plummet as people experience exposure fatigue. However, some professional shifts that have taken place since 2020 are still being felt across working North America and are worthy of discussion.

Since the pandemic, long term isolation has shifted people’s priorities and created an environment of higher stress and shorter fuses. Lockdown after lockdown, people were able to experience life without the stresses and demands of the traditional workday. As strange as it seems, people across social media have discussed nostalgia for the baking bread and whipped coffee era of the pandemic.

Expecting people to return to the old “normal” is unreasonable, making remote work the hot topic of the corporate world. Employees have proved that productivity at home is possible; the 5-day, in office work week is no longer “just what you do”. Employers have struggled to adapt and major corporations are continuing to reduce work from home (WFH) and hybrid opportunities. Employers have been trying to curb remote work by requiring significant in-office time from new employees while maintaining remote options for current workers.

In my years as a facilitator of leadership training, I have heard the remote work debate hundreds of times. The logic and argument for in-person work has remained similar pre- and post- pandemic: “How do I know my employees are working if I can’t see them?”, “How do we develop community amongst team members?”, “How do I know my employees are working as hard as they can?”. Whether you want to argue leaders lack trust, are traditionalist, or have job anxiety, employers need to come to terms with the shifting corporate landscape and employee dynamics.

Fatigue, mental health struggles, and desire for purpose are all common reports of today’s employees; the younger half of the work force are struggling the most. As cost-of-living continues to skyrocket, global conflict is in every news story, and layoffs seem to be everywhere, the logistics of the workday have become increasingly exhausting. Office birthdays, work social dynamics, and in-office benefits are no longer attractive to top talent. Instead, work-from-home flexibility, influence on schedule, and higher salaries are currently the most appealing to new talent.

Leaders have had the choice in recent months to return to panopticon oversight or provide more freedom and flexibility. In many cases, the wrong decision has been made. If leaders insist employees return to the office they risk resentment, wandering eyes, and frequent turnover.

Panopticon Prison. Invented by Jeremy Bentham. Source: The Guardian

Forbes contributor Jack Kelly recently reported an uptick on Coffee badging: coming to work for a short bursts to be noticed and then leaving. Stating the obvious, these types of practices demonstrate that some team members have begun spending more time working the system than for it. While some people are quick to blame laziness, it’s important to look at what leaders can do to create a motivating environment.

So, why do leaders continue to resist WFH and what can they do to adjust? In North America, leaders and managers often have high achievement drive; they strive for perfection and struggle to delegate. From home, managers lose what they consider to be their primary role- surveillance (spoiler alert- it’s not!). Leaders and corporations need to focus on creating a balanced system that benefits employees while simultaneously fostering productivity. Although a complicated issue, leaders can start by listening to employees, becoming adept with collaboration tools, and accepting flexibility.

Leaders, start by asking yourselves:

“Do I want commitment or compliance from my employees?”

“What is motivating employees in the post pandemic landscape?”

“How do I develop trust with my employees?”

Then, ask your employees,

“What are your main priorities?”

“What will create the best work environment for you?”

“How can we create an environment where workers and leaders can be happy?”

You may be surprised to find the answers to a harmonious work environment lie in these responses.