Almost overnight, remote working has shifted from the quirky and the novel to the mainstream. And whilst we try to navigate the new reality there is one simple thing that will not just get us through all this, but help us make massive improvements going forward.
One word. Trust.
In ourselves, in others and in what we’re here to do. I promise you it’s the superpower you probably don’t know that you have, and it’s definitely the one you really need right now.
Doesn’t it? All the things that felt normal just a week ago have vanished. Your commute. Your fellow commuters. Your check in. The security staff. Reception. The elevator. Your department. Your space. Your colleagues. Your lunch routine. All disappeared like so much smoke. And as a leader, the other thing that can vanish is your feeling of being in control. Of managing your team, ensuring things get done. Leading. So here’s a bit of good news. Leadership, real leadership, has never been about control. Real leadership has always been about setting the vision, the goals and the ambition, building a strong team, creating the atmosphere for them to succeed and then trusting them to get on with it.
And that’s the bit that a lot of people are finding hard.
“Trust is core. A fundamental principle and a foundation for common goals and purpose. Perhaps less critical when times are good as everyday behaviour is less likely to be closely regulated by management but in challenging times, all that changes.”
Roger Parker; Executive coach and former Managing Partner EMEA @ global law firm Reed Smith
Before, you could always just pop your head around someone’s door; the old ‘Have you got a minute’ routine. Or you could nab them in the corridor or the elevator, or the canteen and ‘touch base’ about whatever was on your mind. Or worse still stand over their shoulder. Literally and figuratively. Now we’re all working remotely, that need to be ‘on top of things’ can feel a lot like online stalking if you’re on the receiving end. You might find the next bit shocking. It makes my skin crawl.
‘Some are turning to tools like “Sneek”, a group video conference software that's always on by default. Sneek features a "wall of faces" of employees at a company, automatically taking a photo through their webcam every one to five minutes…employees at home are being photographed every 5 minutes to ensure they're actually working — and the service is seeing a rapid expansion since the coronavirus outbreak .’
Business Insider Mar 23rd 2020
It’s widely accepted that people are more productive, innovative and effective if they feel secure, invested in and trusted. How do you think this makes your team feel when you’re treating them like nursery children? And what do you think the net result on output will be? The same sort of people using this platform are the same sort of people who are buying up all the toilet roll. Dumb and counterproductive.It’s also incredibly selfish.It perpetuates the myth that your team are there for you. And therefore have to be there for you every 5 minutes. In times of crisis, and I cannot stress this enough, it’s your job as a leader to be there for your team, not the other way around. They’re probably feeling very vulnerable right now.They need you to let them know that things are going to be ok. Surround them with support, confidence, reassurance. That’s what people look to leaders for.
Not all of your team will have a home office. They might not have a nook. They may have a partner in the house under the same pressure to work on their own stuff. If they’re young, they might be in HMOs or shared apartments. And god help anyone trying to get stuff done locked down with a toddler in the house. Or a teenager. They might be trying to make this work from a makeshift desk that’s also a dining table, school classroom and currently holds a 1000 piece jigsaw of Elsa from Frozen. So cut them some slack. Be flexible in how you expect people to meet your expectations.
Set reasonable objectives. Be clear on timelines. Deliverables and where and when. Facilitate technology that helps collaboration. Delete technology that fuels suspicion and mistrust. Other than that, just be there for them, and let them get on with it.
Anyone who tells you that they’re ‘fine’ right now, probably isn’t.It’s natural and in fact normal to be scared. And not just about jobs. Our own health, the health of loved ones, has never been more under threat. We are all in the same boat, so as a leader, showing empathy and sympathy should be the easiest thing on earth. For once you can actually say ‘I understand how you feel’ without sounding like a phony. You don’t have to play the boss. Everyone knows you’re the boss. Be the leader that they need. These are uncharted waters for all of us. So have some trust in yourself and the choices that you’ve already made.
Trust them. It’s your superpower for getting things done right now.