Miles Smiles Apart Navigating Remote Workers with Empathy
imagine
if you didn’t have to apologize for your
dog barking in the background
of your virtual office imagine if you
had
work-life balance that allowed for more
walking meetings
instead of sitting at a computer all day
imagine if you had flexible hours and
you could take your kids to and from the
bus stop
imagine if you had a green screen
that didn’t exist because you could get
your work done from anywhere
imagine if your boss understood you
why does this have to be a figment of
our imagination
it’s time for us to make this a reality
as i reflect on my journey i’m
embarrassed to say i was never a big fan
of the water cooler chat
i didn’t used to care about what my
co-workers did
on the weekends or maybe a funny cat
story
all i cared about was the work
were we on track were we gonna meet that
deadline
were all the logistics ironed out
go or no go but about a decade ago
a powerful boss stopped me in my tracks
and said laura
you’ll never climb the ladder by
stepping on others
this struck me this resonated with me
why was i being so rigid
so business why was i willing to
sacrifice the human connection
for the work this was my aha moment
and this is when i changed my thinking
all around
supported teams are successful teams
we have to get to know one another we
have to ask
questions we need to be silly
and open and honest with each other we
need to bring out the best
in one another
when i think about this what did my team
do
we actually cared for one another and
this changed how we showed up this was
trust we had each other’s backs
and we got work done and we had fun
doing it
supported teams are successful teams
so let’s ask each other those questions
now at first this felt fake it felt a
little inauthentic
to ask questions personal questions
and stay in the moment it was a lot of
work
learning how to listen
but this strengthened bonds and it got
easier with time and certainly more
natural
as leaders we have the power to serve
and put our people first
as you advance in your career a common
misconception
is that others work for you but in
reality
you work for them we have to
create a sense of belonging we have to
create a trusting
environment when was the last time that
you asked
your staff how are they doing and really
asked
and really listened maybe even
when you get the canned response of how
when you ask how they’re doing
and they say i’m good are they
maybe follow up and ask is there
anything i could do differently to
support you
do you need help
create that space and if they lean in
and share
thank them for being vulnerable and
sharing
you’ve just strengthened that
relationship
when was the last time you asked them
what’s working well what should we keep
doing
how about what needs to change
when i asked my department these
questions i was shocked at
some of the results and answers that
said
let’s have less aggressive meetings
let’s have more cross-team collaboration
let’s have more meaningful performance
reviews
wow people want to know how they can do
better
and this should not be reserved for a
once a year thing
we need to use feedback as a tool for
improvement
we need to create feedback loops
so that we can constantly hear each
other’s ideas
one of my mentors framed it best it’s
not feedback it’s feed forward
what are you going to do with this gift
how are you going to take this change or
suggestion
and move it forward
feedback is a very powerful tool
and it shouldn’t be uncomfortable we
should create a culture of safety
so these types of conversations happen
all the time
and as leaders we could do that by
promoting rounding
checking in with our staff while
checking our own egos at the door
how about asking what are we missing
what did we not consider
creating that space for our teams
to bring forward other ideas is
instrumental
at making sure we catch everything
and just when you think things are
buttoned up pause and ask
what did we miss anything we should
consider
we need to experiment and have an
openness with others ideas
chances are it’s probably been a little
while if at all
since you’ve asked your staff these
types of questions
of do they feel valued what should we
change
do they feel supported
what should we keep doing send out a
survey
and ask your staff these questions and
then get comfortable
with the uncomfortable when you read
answers that you don’t want to hear
share those results with your leadership
team
come up with a plan to proactively and
positively affect
change and commit to that change
because culture change starts with you
our teams are made up of people from all
walks of life
and they bring different perspectives
and this is the joy of
a team
we need to invite people in and raise
them up
so that they can do their best
everyone has unique strengths so let’s
tap into those strengths
when people find joy in their work
they’re more likely to produce better
outcomes
so we have to tap into people’s
strengths and let them rise up to the
occasion
to do their best on a project or a task
that aligns with their strengths
so how can we continue to be flexible
in this virtual world
think about how you show up as your best
what does that look like
we all have good days and bad days
on our good days we shine and people are
drawn to our positive energy
but on bad days we need to take action
too
we need to give ourselves space and
grace
it’s okay to move things around and
change our schedules to maybe work on
more independent things
on days that are tough it’s okay to ask
for help
it’s okay to take breaks and walk away
it’s okay to take a mental health day
it’s okay to do
your best and ask
others to help you
these okay statements are called the
unspoken rules
as leaders we need to set clear
expectations
and speak these unspoken rules
why should these types of statements be
kept in the dark
so think about how you show up and speak
the unspoken rules
we have to remember that during these
challenging times
high stress times we need to be there
for our people
and flex and bend to meet our workforce
at their needs everyone
is struggling with different things
whether it be a child who’s remote
learning at home
or taking care of a sick or loved one
or perhaps a financial hardship
or their own mental health challenge
we need to increase our support to our
workforce
we have to show up for them we have to
communicate
and over communicate and be transparent
as leaders
we need to tell them the why
and help invite them in for the
decision-making process
empathy at its core is strong
people management empathy
is hearing the unvoiced questions
empathy is anticipating needs
empathy is attributing positive intent
and increasing our level of
understanding to a whole new level
you never know how someone’s day
may have started
so let’s give that person
their own space and grace and listen
wholeheartedly
you never know what may be happening
behind that green screen
so let’s be kind culture change
starts with you thank you