In most organizations, the plan to “return to normal” looks nothing like our pre-pandemic version of “normal.” While some organizations have chosen to stay remote, most have engaged a hybrid model for their return to work plans. Hybrid teams allow flexibility to adapt to various employee needs while reducing the number of employees who are on-site on any given day. From the employee perspective, this is a great compromise and acknowledges that each person’s work style preferences are unique. From a leadership perspective, frontline leaders will now experience unique challenges that test their soft skills more than ever before.
The Zoom Energy Drain: Understanding and Managing It
“Well this must be your ideal scenario as an introvert. You must love working from home without any superficial conversations draining your energy. I bet it will be hard for introverts to go back in the office after being able to control social interactions for so many months.” This simple observation from a colleague stuck with me for a week. If introverts are drained by things like superficial conversations, spontaneous questions, and long days of social interactions, then working remotely should be the ultimate energy preservation work scenario. In a remote office, we have more control over who we engage … Read More
Tips for Transitioning to a Remote Team
As global efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) become more aggressive, many organizations are temporarily allowing their employees to work in remote teams. These proactive steps to reduce the risk of infection are prudent but not without challenges. The concept of working remotely is far from new—roughly 20-25% of the US workforce currently telecommutes at least part time. Yet, when polled, up to 90% of workers said they’d prefer the option to work from home at least occasionally. The technology to meet via video conference, instant message, group chat, and collaborate in real time on documents has been … Read More
Build Morale During Madness
If you’re a college basketball fan, then March is the most wonderful time of the year! It’s the time when fair-weather fans and die-hards alike spent hours pouring over statistics and injury reports in an effort to chase the elusive perfect NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket. Now, if you’re a manager or work in Human Resources, March may not seem so wonderful. Over 70 million individuals fill out tournament brackets annually. Studies say that March Madness is the #3 tech-related office distraction behind texting and Facebook. March Madness has the potential to wreak havoc in an organization. Some researchers estimate that … Read More
The 5 Characters You Want on Your Team
If you could create your dream team, who would be on it and why? That’s an important question to ask yourself as you look at the talent in your organization and work to strategically fill the positions that support you. What characteristics feed your energy and are crucial to success?