The COVID-19 pandemic has changed hybrid working from nice-to-have to must-have. Whilst organisations across the world continue fine-tuning workplace policy to fit their individual contexts, what is clear is that a mixture of remote and in-office work is here to stay, argues Arusha Gupta.
In fact, a survey published by Microsoft found that more than half (51%) of UK workers who currently have the choice to mix remote and office working would consider leaving their company if this hybrid option was removed.
It also found that while “87 percent of workers felt they worked as, or more, efficiently from home, 80 percent of managers disagreed.” This disconnect shows that managers are faced with new challenges and pressures while trying to cope with multi-site teams.
The transition to hybrid working has made emotional intelligence essential. As digital spaces reduce spontaneous human connection, this new way of working can make it more difficult to read emotional signposts, such as body language and tone of voice. In the remote workplace, emotionally intelligent individuals are better equipped to adapt to these changes as well as maintain strong relationships despite the lack of in-person interaction.
Working in an emotionally intelligent way may mean taking a different approach. Instead of putting your head down and prioritising to-do lists or productivity goals, it means putting human relationships and our own and other people’s feelings first.
The changing role of managers
Managers contribute to their organisations in many ways: from communicating the company strategy, to helping with the prioritisation of projects and ensuring team collaboration, and nurturing the career and development of their team.
Since the pandemic, however, managers have had to deal with significant upheavals caused by the move to remote work. They have been tasked with maintaining productivity and engagement (and emotional and psychological well-being), whilst also balancing rapidly evolving employee expectations.
An integral component of success in this hybrid world is the ability to create and sustain deep engagement and, to bring this to life, adopting the 6Cs of managerial effectiveness is an invaluable resource. The framework allows managers to Connect, Collaborate, Contribute, Communicate, Care and build a culture of trust in the hybrid world
The importance of feeling connected
Social belonging is a fundamental human need, hardwired into our DNA. A strong sense of belonging can lead to better collaboration, retention and business performance. When we feel we belong, we are more motivated and engaged. It significantly reduces stress levels and improves physical health, emotional well-being and performance.
Yet, even since 2019, 40 percent of people surveyed by EY for their ‘belonging barometer’ were feeling isolated at work. In a world increasingly made up of disparate teams, connected predominantly through virtual calls and instant messaging apps, fostering this sense of belonging has never been more important.
Tackling belonging and fostering genuine connection is fast becoming the foundational priority for managers. They need to look at how they harness the tools necessary to create workplace cultures that are open and inclusive, regardless of the physical barriers. To do this, they need heightened emotional intelligence and to recognise the needs of each person that makes up their team. Broadly, they can prioritise effort in two categories: improving their ability to recognise and reward their staff’s achievements (authentically and in a way that adapts to individual personalities), and fostering spaces in which their team members feel they can share their honest opinions, and entire selves, at work.
Feeling like they belong at work makes employees happier, but the benefits do not end there. Team members who find their work culture accepting and inviting are more successful, more influential, and contribute more to their teams.
Evolving workplace culture – it is all about trust
Most of all, for hybrid working to continue to contribute to productivity and employee wellbeing, it must be rooted in a sense of trust between managers and teams. As CMI’s landmark 2020 ‘Management Transformed’ study found: “Where managers trust their direct reports, they find that productivity rises. Where managers say they don’t trust their direct reports… staff are less productive.”
Every manager wants a team that functions like clockwork – with clear goals, effective communication, great camaraderie, and peak performance. But that is easier said than done. Hybrid contexts require more trust, freedom, and flexibility than usual. And it is up to team leaders to redefine the norms for how to meet, connect and collaborate with their team members virtually.
Research looking at what makes teams effective has shown that factors such as similarity in experience or backgrounds, socialising after work and specific personalities or styles of leadership aren’t as relevant as once thought. Organisations might consider co-creating a culture canvas centred around the following:
1) Team purpose
The purpose is the impact your team wants to create on people and the broader community, not internally and for customers. A purpose is the ‘why’ that moves team members into action.
2) Promoting Psychological safety
Team members need a safe space to work, an environment where they can ask questions, take risks and even make mistakes. They should not feel like their every move or decision is being micromanaged, but instead be given the space to work autonomously while feeling supported and empowered.
3) Choose Priorities
This is key in a team setting, where all members of the team can rely on each other to complete a required task. What are the core strategies that will guide focus and energy? Establishing clear priorities is vital in facilitating decision-making.
4) Structure and clarity
Teams need structure to succeed, with some degree of flexibility and agility. But if there is no structure and process in place, team members could go off on a tangent which may result in reduced productivity. Everyone needs to have clearly defined roles, goals, and plans, and these all need to be linked back to overarching objectives for teams to succeed. There should also be open communication to keep everyone updated on progress and help troubleshoot any challenges.
5) Purpose and meaning
Work should always provide a sense of purpose and meaning to every team member. Teams will succeed when their members are proud to be a part of and want to go above and beyond because they care about and value their role and the organisation they work for.
Dialling up emotional intelligence
To create a strong team, you need strong collaboration, common goals and a supportive environment. While expertise and skills are important, emotional understanding, strong rapport and mutual respect make a team truly effective. Understanding each other’s emotions and ways of thinking lay the foundation for a great team, regardless of where they’re located. As Mark Craemer says, “we are all emotional beings just by virtue of being human, and we can’t separate from that at work”.
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Arusha Gupta is Head of HR- European Region and Global Markets – at LTIMindtree.
Arusha has worked for over two decades in the technology sector in various HR functional roles across different geographies.
She is passionate about building simple solutions to business and people challenges. She is known for building high-performing teams and enabling people to be the best version of themselves. She won the ‘T A Pai Young HR Leader Award’ for her contributions to employee engagement and wellbeing during the pandemic. Her mantra is ‘be human first’.
Arusha has extensively contributed towards the simplification and digitalisation of people processes, DEI initiatives, talent development and retention. She successfully deployed a different approach to onboarding talent and helped the business attract talent during the period of ‘great resignation’.
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