New Challenges for Managers
Leading During a Pandemic is not easy. We all know this now. But for managers, remote or hybrid work requirements may be an opportunity to strengthen their teams internally.
As a leader or manager during the pandemic, you’ve been finding ways to help your employees work through all that’s occurred during the past 24 months. Your employees have learned how to be productive in an environment that wasn’t your office. Flexibility has become a key component of your employee’s work/life experience. The conversations with employees must continue. As a leader, you need to meet them where they are right now. It might even be time to evaluate the benefits of allowing your employees to continue to work remotely at home or elsewhere in 2022 and beyond.
This was a picture I took on our final day of our #workation in SoCal. My husband and I are now back in our home offices after working remotely there for nearly 6 weeks.
Not “Alone” in Remote Work
We aren’t alone in this new trend of working remotely from a destination other than your home.
Airbnb commissioned a 7,500-person survey in 2021 and found the data supports this trend. The survey showed more people are booking longer stays at their properties. Employees are seeking #workation possibilities.
As companies continue to evolve with in-person versus remote work requirements, this is an important trend that could even be a benefit if embraced by leadership. For example;
- More than one-third (38%) of self-identified hybrid/remote employees say they would rather quit their jobs than go back to work in-person full-time.
- More than one-third (37%) say they will undertake more long-stay travel.
- Nearly two-thirds (63%) of all respondents say they have come to expect more flexibility from their employers.
The benefits are all about perspective
Remote work/life could even be seen as a company benefit. Leading during a pandemic has given managers an all-new perspective. If we are shaking up the paradigm of a work/life balance maybe this is a reality that never existed previously and one that could be seen as a tremendous silver lining for your employees.
