Blessing or curse
Working from home sparked a wide range of emotions for higher ed. administrators. At the risk of over-simplifying, I see four main categories. Most of my clients fall into the first category; leaders who don’t complain about their wellbeing, do what needs to be done, but recognize the issues posed by working remotely and look forward to being back on campus.
The second category are people who don’t like change, hate when their habits are disrupted, resist having to learn new technologies or skills, and have been complaining non-stop for months. Third are employees who lack work ethics, don’t enjoy their job, and are happy to hide at home where there is less scrutiny and accountability. Lucky for me, I don’t deal with people in the second or third categories because they don’t hire executive coaches!
I want to bring your attention to the fourth category. These are the people who are professional, have admirable work ethics, and can be trusted to perform without much oversight. Even though they are highly valuable employees, they are overjoyed to be able to work from home. There is a myriad of reasons why quality employees may not thrive in their current office environment.
Daily annoyances that add up
Your highly valuable employees are not likely to complain about what bothers them, so they may not have given you a chance to correct or modify any of the issues they face daily. Let me share with you some examples to help you understand problems that you might not experience yourself, but others do.
Commuting to work: some employees have a long drive to the office and working from home during the lockdown has improved their quality of life. When they will have to return to campus, consider allowing them to work from home, even if it’s just one day a week, to improve their job satisfaction.
Too many interruptions: some employees strongly prefer being able to focus on their work without coworkers stopping by their office to chat and interrupting them. You can discuss with them some acceptable solutions (e.g., they can close their door when busy, or kindly ask people to make an appointment). Help them learn to set healthy boundaries.
Dealing with unprofessional or toxic people: some of your best employees may be silently suffering from being subjected to bad apples. Again, they don’t want to complain, but being exposed to negativity wears them out. It is critically important that you set expectations regarding professional behavior, keep people accountable, and deal with unacceptable behavior. Your employees will thank you for it.
Physical fatigue: People know the value of taking breaks, stretching, walking, and staying hydrated during the day but most organizational cultures don’t make it easy. If people are seen stretching and taking walks, they may be criticized as not working hard enough. Lead by example and please keep reinforcing the message that it’s ok for your team members to take care of their health.
Inadequate workspace: Some employees may prefer working from home because it’s more comfortable than the office. This is particularly true for workers who are subjected to excessive noise, artificial lights, locked thermostats at uncomfortable temperatures etc. See what you can do to make offices more comfortable.
Being asked to do too much: Some employees are dependable and effective but not comfortable setting boundaries, so other people give them work they should do themselves. Working from home can make employees less visible and less accessible, so in some cases, less likely to be dumped on. Help your employees feel comfortable saying no when too much is asked of them and keep an eye on everyone’s workload to prevent excess when possible.
In conclusion…
I have no idea when it will be safe to bring everyone back to campus. We were barely managing the first wave of COVID-19, seeing numbers of cases go down, starting to re-open the country, and now, rioters have hijacked peaceful protests. Violence added one more reason to stay at home to be safe. All I know is that people are afraid and many feel isolated. I look forward to better days and to regaining some sense of normalcy when students are able to take classes on campus and staff are back in their offices.
That’s why I am encouraging you now to reflect on what you will do, as a leader, when your office reopens. You know that extroverts and highly social people will be ecstatic to return to work, but others may feel differently. Do what’s in your power to improve job satisfaction. The morale will be lower than before because of the virus, fear of the future, fear of the unknown, budget cuts, furlough and layoffs, and of course the grief and outrage we all feel about George Floyd’s murder.
More than ever, you will need to focus on people and be the trustworthy and inspirational leader they need you to be. Make sure to foster a culture where people can feel safe speaking to you about issues they face and give you a chance to resolve chronic issues. I invite you to click here to schedule a complimentary call with me to discuss how we can work together on crisis leadership, trust, and influence, to serve at the highest level possible.
About the author: Dr. Audrey Reille has empowered thousands of professionals through one-on-one coaching, group coaching, speaking engagements, and online courses. Audrey is the go-to coach for leaders in higher education administration. She empowers them to thrive by reducing stress, optimizing strategies, improving professional relationships, and developing a strong and empowered mindset.