by Paula Quinsee
With the majority of people working from home these days, there are less team and one-on-one interactions with the majority of communications being done almost entirely online. Some concerns that are already being flagged in organisations are that of: "employees are increasingly disconnected and as a result, projects can take longer to complete. New hires are failing to integrate effectively and young professionals can take longer to professionally develop without mentors at hand or behaviours to emmulate.”
There is no doubt that building a cohesive culture in the COVID era will be harder than ever but it's not impossible.
So what are some of the key factors to consider going forward?
Where possible have face-to-face interactions
Obviously complying with social distancing requirements. Research shows it is critical to establishing a connection and foundation going forward (this is not that different to when a child is born and they are needing to establish healthy attachment in their early years). You see we are wired for connection from day one and that need never goes away. Alternatively encourage employees who live in the same area to have a coffee meet-up every now and then.
Turn on your camera
Culture is learned through paying attention to the nuances. Just as we grow up in a "culture" at home so too do we experience similar in the workplace. People will respond to what behaviour is being rewarded (acknowledged) and what is not (ignored or disciplined). Over time you notice which people get attention and which don’t. Turning cameras on can give clues to these subtleties and any corrective action that needs to be taken or support needed.
Keep it real
Culture is something we experience rather than consciously build. With teams now being remote, leaders are needing to intentionally identify the behaviours and patterns of interaction required to encourage building the culture and reinforce them daily. If there's one thing for sure, remote work doesn’t eliminate culture, it reveals it.
Perhaps now is a time to review your company Values and recognition and rewards systems?
Our job role and function may have stayed the same but where and how we work has changed and these elements may need a revamp or update to align to your new ways of working too.
Upcoming webinars:
If you missed our previous webinars you can catch them again:
Stress Webinar - understanding the science of stress and how it impacts us as individuals and our personal and professional relationships.
Couples and Currency - managing financial stress and the impact on our hoouseholds and relationships
Family Dynamics webinar #1 and webinar #2 - being in lockdown has put enormous stress on individuals and relationships resulting in a spike in divorce and GBV related incidents both locally and internationally
The following upcoming free webinars may be of interest to you and your colleagues:
Family Dynamics Webinar | Sat 12 Sept 15:00-16:00
Many couples are experiencing stressful times as a result of COVID and when there is stress, often thoughts of throwing in the towel and divorce are soon to follow. Understand your options, family impact and your rights according to the law. Book your seat here
If you would like to implement some practical sessions in or organisation or with your team to support them with mental health and well-being resources, please reach out. We have a variety of solutions we can provide. And if you need some support for yourself, we're here for you too :)
Warmly
Paula
Paula Quinsee is a Relationship Expert, Tedx speaker and author of Embracing Conflict and Embracing No. Paula works with individuals and companies to have better and healthier human interactions in both their personal and workplace relationships.
More info: www.paulaquinsee.com Email: paula@paulaquinsee.com
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