Blog

You know that feeling you get when someone reads something over your shoulder? (Maybe it’s been a while since we’ve all been practicing social distancing for nearly a year!) You instantly become distracted. Your eyes dart, trying to politely discern that someone is in fact invading your personal space. Then you turn, a confused and frustrated look on your face—is this really necessary you wonder? You couldn’t wait until I was finished reading, or finished writing, to read what is on my screen? We almost feel violated when someone breaks into our personal bubble or demands something immediately without giving us the time or space to complete the task alone. 

Today, managers are learning how to give employees space, trust their productivity, and deflect the temptation to micro-manage. While 42% of employees currently work from home full time, managers must find healthy ways to support their team, or you risk losing your best employees. 

If you’re ready to take on the challenge, these three principles will help you support your staff and increase productivity. 

1. Trust but Verify

It’s time to adjust how you measure productivity. Many employees are juggling deadlines, meetings, their children’s virtual learning, childcare, and health concerns. They may not be able to attend every Zoom call or be available during traditional work hours. This does not mean that your employee is uncommitted or underperforming. Instead, trust that your teammate will produce quality work within a reasonable time-frame, it just may be completed after their kids are in bed. Empower them trusting that they’ll complete their tasks, and then verify their work rather than monitoring their presence on every call. You may find an increase in results when your employees are given the freedom to manage their own time. 

2. Collaborate, Don’t Supervise

Invest in technology that allows your team to collaborate effectively, support one another, and engage in interpersonal relationships rather than using technology to supervise. If surveillance is a manager’s top priority, your employees may feel a lack of privacy and a lack of trust which will send your best people running. Virtual micromanagement creates a toxic culture and distracts employees from focusing on the right things. Instead, use technology to course-correct, provide accountability, and track progress. Focus on supporting your team and connecting instead of constant monitoring. 

3. Embrace Work-Life Connection 

Because of the pandemic, we’ve had to reframe our understanding of work-life balance. And in doing so, we’ve come to see that it doesn’t exist. Work and life are entangled. By balancing them, we tried to separate them. For the foreseeable future, separating home life and work life is impossible. So, we embrace it. Begin to have transparent conversations with your employees to learn who can take on new responsibilities and who is struggling. Remember that most of the men and women on your team want to succeed. How can you help them? Engage in positive conversations, maintain empathy, and recognize a job well done. During these stressful times, support your employees as you all embrace the connection between work life and home life. 

For more resources on managing conflict, improving communication, and improving employee satisfaction, contact Trinity Training and Development today.