All Change: Leading well in a World of Virtual Work

We’re not the same people that closed to office door and went home to work in early 2020. That is very clear. What has happened in the years since that date has left an impact that we are still trying to fully understand.

Yes, we have, in some cases, re-entered the office, but It’s no understatement to say that the past two years have fundamentally changed how we define the role of work in our lives. Data from survey after survey has measured and reported this impact.

So, any discussion about leading virtually must understand that this is not just a technical matter about tools and processes. It asks many deeper questions, and holds several major challenges.

As just one study points out: ‘The data shows the Great Reshuffle is far from over. Employees everywhere are rethinking their “worth it” equation and are voting with their feet. And as more people experience the upsides of flexible work, the more heavily it factors into the equation. For Gen Z and Millennials, there’s no going back. And with other generations not far behind, companies must meet employees where they are.’

All change

This is the paradigm shift leaders must now face. Not a technical, but a cultural shift that has to inform how relationships, values and attitudes are made and managed in the workplace.

What people want from work and what they’re willing to give in return—has changed. Leaders must be seen to be setting the standard for flexible work in a way that balances business outcomes with new employee expectations.

Be highly intentional

The first thing to remember is to be highly intentional in your planning. In other words, be sure why you are being virtual or in the office, or hybrid. This will be the bedrock of any progress and buy-in from the team. Everyone must understand why working this way or the other is necessary and right.

In this regard, Deloitte encourage leaders to revisit ‘your purpose and team roles’ in order to drive direction and provide a sense of belonging. Their advice is for ‘a greater intentional, clear and structured approach’.

Create new habits and new rhythms

Remember the importance of properly bedding any new approach to working. In the ‘good old office days’ the rhythm of daily work was easy to understand and adhere to. You turned-up at a certain time, you worked, and then you went home.

In a hybrid or fully virtual world, it’s more complicated, so it’s important to have some markers, some events that always happen at the same time, at the same frequency, every week. Call it setting up a new rhythm, something everyone can get used to.

Work at being social

No work traditions are entirely about working either. Building an inclusive and cohesive culture means including events that allow the important practice of socialising that provides the human interaction that we all remember.

It also provides the human capital that allows us to get things done better by having human connect with those who can help us.

In their most recent survey, Microsoft reports that ‘43% of leaders say relationship-building is the greatest challenge in hybrid and remote work—but it’s one worth prioritizing. Building social capital is crucial for organizational success.

Employees who have thriving relationships with their immediate team members report better wellbeing than those with poor relationships (76% versus 57%). They also report higher productivity (50% versus 36%) and are less likely to change employers in the year ahead (61% versus 39%)’.

Hybrid and remote employees do better when managers take time for regular one-on-ones.

The same survey also reminds us that strengthening networks outside of your immediate team matters too. Those thriving relationships beyond immediate team members boost satisfaction with their employer, more fulfilment at work, and a more positive outlook on workplace stress.

This kind of healthy broad network is also good for career opportunities within the company.  And employees at companies with high internal mobility stay almost twice as long, as Linkedin data tells us.

Deliberately invite diverse perspectives

Remember, with remote and hybrid work, you have to be proactive in forming important wider bonds across the organization that will ease collaborations, enrich your output and progress your agenda. Some advice says you should encourage teams to seek out diverse perspective by bringing in visitors from other teams or outside the organization during meetings.

Think flexibly about time

In the modern world of work, not everything has to be done by everyone at the same time. So-called asynchronous working means that people can use technology like recordings to catch up meetings, training, and town halls at a time that suits them.  As Microsoft’s Chief Scientist points out: ‘Because everyone is working at different times and in different places, it’s important to shift as much work as you can to be asynchronous and get really intentional about the use of the synchronous time you have together.’

Communicate, communicate, communicate

If you are leading with a large measure of virtual working, it is vital for leaders to keep that communication button pressed.  Radio silence from a leader simply provides a vacuum into which rumour, fears and, ultimately, disengagement grow.

There is simply no such thing as communicating too much when it comes to virtual leadership.

You must communicate with tact and understanding however. If a team member is up against a deadline completing a report and you drop in for a relaxed chat that might not be the best idea. 

Also, the nature of your communication should be as transparent as possible.  People have been through so much upheaval lately.  They don’t need any more shocks to the system. So, keep your team on board with the changes being introduced in the company, for example.

Share your plans and goals so that everyone has a clear direction for the company's goals and can align them with their work strategies.

Relax, and let go

If your leadership world is often virtual, it is all too natural that you might feel anxious about the rate of progress of the programmes and plans that your team are executing.  How are things going? Are we hitting our targets? Are there any big problems?

Here, you have to take a deep breath, relax and let go. You have to trust your team, and let them feel empowered to get on with the job. Micro-managing is no solution. It’s undermining, self-defeating and will only leave your team second-guessing what it is you want if you constantly dive in and ask ‘off the cuff questions.

Clarity in goal-setting, KPIs, plus the ‘what and when’ of reporting should be enough.  Then, take a step back and be available if the team needs your input.

There is no going back to the pre-pandemic world of work. Leaders will have to display the combination of soft skills and digital confidence that ensures long-term success.

If you want to discuss how leading virtually can unlock success for your organization, or how it might accelerate your career trajectory, please get in touch.