Managing Teams Post Covid: It's not "business as usual"
Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted many of the long-held beliefs in the corporate domain, one such area was the way employees work, it forced organizations initially to adapt and shift to predominantly remote work but with the pandemic abating we see the hybrid model being favoured by many organisations.
Managers & HR personnel are now faced with the challenge of managing teams in a world that is constantly changing. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best practices for managing teams in the post-Covid world.
Prioritize Communication
A Modern team could be spread out geographically not only into employees who work from the office and those who work remotely from the same city but also those who work internationally, therefore although effective communication is crucial in all teams, it’s doubly important in international teams because of language and cultural differences. Managers must be able to listen effectively, identify unspoken concerns and respond in a way that’s clear to the other person. (Silverman, 2022)
Effective communication can help maintain trust, build relationships, and increase productivity. The employee–organization relationship becomes stronger through an efficient communication system, and employees achieve high levels of satisfaction (Berger, 2008)
Emphasize Flexibility
The pandemic has completely changed the way employees work, the traditional 9-5 is being challenged and so too is the way teams work. Organizations are now re-evaluating the way in which employees contribute in teams & how they balance their work commitments with their lives.
“Work/Life Balance” is no longer a taboo subject to discuss openly with management, many employees are seeking out jobs that provide them with greater flexibility, in particular the ability to work remotely, and therefore the opportunity to achieve a better balance between their paid work and their personal lives, including more time for their families and more time to devote to their own personal interests as well. (International Labour Organization, 2022)
An organization that makes adjustments to how they manage their teams by offering more flexibility would be able to reap the benefits of enhancing worker morale, reducing absenteeism, Improving retention & boosting productivity. Flexible working arrangements would also help in employer branding and attracting candidates in recruitment. (Managing Flexible Work Arrangements, 2023)
Support Employee Well-being
Covid has put a spotlight on employee well-being, from being an often overlooked aspect before the pandemic, now organizations have understood how vital it is in terms of broader organisational goals and aspirations. Companies that promote well-being make it easier for employees to manage stress levels while also maintaining a positive and productive environment. (Waida, 2021)
Employers can provide support to their employees via personal support for development, offering fair wages to look after their financial health & meaningful connections with their peers and colleagues within smaller teams and the broader organization.
By creating a climate that is safe & accommodating of individual employees and teams, organisations can provide a foundation for positive well-being that allows teams to flourish (Wehbe, 2022)
Foster Collaboration
A team is only as strong as its weakest link & in a remote or hybrid work environment, it can be challenging to foster collaboration. It is therefore important to increase collaboration by improving team building via strategic in-person & digital engagement sessions, full-team retreats, and meetings which can go a long way in fostering high-functioning teams. (Benedek, 2022)
Companies can also increase collaboration by bringing down barriers and allowing teams to self-regulate to find the most efficient ways of achieving higher collaborative productivity, for example, Microsoft Chief Scientist Jaime Teevan says “At Microsoft, we’re asking each team to create a set of team norms that define how they’d like to work together in our hybrid workplace. Individuals can share how they work best. Teams can establish meeting-free days or plan regular in-person team meetings. (Teevan, 2021)
Conclusion
In conclusion, the pandemic and its aftermath have presented new challenges for managers and HR personnel in managing teams. Prioritizing communication, emphasizing flexibility, supporting employee well-being, and fostering collaboration are essential practices that can help organizations manage their teams effectively. By implementing these practices, organizations can adapt to a more modern and conducive work environment, build stronger relationships with their employees, enhance their productivity, and create a positive and productive work culture. Ultimately, these practices can lead to better organizational performance and growth in the post-Covid world.
References
Berger B. (2008). Employee/organizational communications. Institute for Public Relations. http://www.instituteforpr.org/topics/employee-organizational-communications/ (Accessed: 2 April 2023)
Wehbe. R (2022) ‘Employees Well-being in a workplace’, Great Place to Work, 7 September. Available at: https://greatplacetowork.me/employees-well-being-in-a-workplace/ (Accessed: 2 April 2023).
This is a good topic and you have discussed many good areas here. On managing flexible work arrangements, you may strike a balance by quoting something that emphasizes the importance of quality outputs from employees through Flexible Work Arrangements. What you think?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Rifak, you raise a valid point, in fact many organisations have increased their levels of communication and the use of technology to better align their quality processes & requirements with remote working, for example, according to Hill (2023) state that when it comes to remote workers “the standard expectation for communication should be over communication” meaning that it is important for organisations to recognise the right channels and processes to better communicate with their employees.
DeleteAnother popular way to keep track of remote employee quality is project management software, (employmenthero.com, 2022) to track Key performance indicators (KPIs) and objectives & key results (OKRs) whereby an employees can always be aware of the expectations of the organisation.
References
Employmenthero.com (2022) 6 ways to measure productivity of remote employees, Australia. Available at: https://employmenthero.com/blog/measure-productivity-remote-employees/ (Accessed: 15 April 2023).
Hill, K. (2023) How to Effectively Measure the Performance of Remote Workers, Premium Subscription Staffing for Business | Boldly. Available at: https://boldly.com/blog/how-to-measure-the-performance-of-remote-workers/ (Accessed: 15 April 2023).
An interesting topic currently being discussed around the world.
ReplyDeleteTrue that there are many benefits of the post pandemic style of work. However, the organisations would be benefited to the fullest only if employees support these practices with commitment and loyalty. Do you agree ?
Hi Kabilashini! Thank you for your comment, absolutely! getting the "buy-in" from employees to make the necessary changes to the way teams operates is very important, as per Deutschendorf (2022) leadership and HR professionals can achieve this by providing employees more opportunity for feedback, by promoting more empathy across the organisation and fostering a more collaborative culture.
DeleteWith the covid19 pandemic, there are many changes happened in the world, hybrid and virtual work environment, more team collaboration with new technology and innovation, communication methods etc. Do you think HR team development will success with hybrid and virtual work environment?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Chamara, That's a very interesting question, obviously the human "connection" is very important to developing teams and cohesiveness, as per Stanton (2022), HR professionals and leaders need to proactively create interactions between team members to foster strong connections in a hybrid workplace. Boyarsky (2020) adds that activities such as in-person company-sponsored "Team Coffee" sessions, "Virtual Water Cooler" chats online via platforms like Slack and "Icebreaker Emails" introducing team member will help to make team development a success.
DeleteGreat topic selection. I've a question for you based on this article. It is my view that technology is a necessary evil and this statement makes more sense in light of what you've just discussed. How would you interpret the need and use of technology in the context of managing teams, post-covid?
ReplyDeleteHi Thanuki, Thank you for your comment, I agree with you that technology is a necessary evil, at least when it comes to the workplace! Frost & Duan (2020) actually have an interesting take on it, they talk about a few concepts, one being "Technology as a creation medium" where units within an organisations are formed through technology such as flash teams or project groups relating to the introduction of new automated processes. They go on to "Technology as a teammate" wherein technology has a distinct
Deleterole as an effective virtual team member or the core that the virtual team is built around.
If you;ve got the time, do check out their article https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345971363_Rethinking_the_Role_of_Technology_in_Virtual_Teams_in_Light_of_COVID-19
Best Regards, Nithila
Very interesting!
DeleteThis blog article offers valuable insights on how to effectively manage teams in the post-COVID world, emphasising the importance of communication, flexibility, and empathy. The practical tips and strategies discussed in the article can be useful for HR professionals and leaders looking to create a positive and productive team environment in the new normal.
ReplyDeleteHi Chamuda, Thank you very much for your feedback, I appreciate it !
DeleteHi Nithila, Great blog post! What caught my eye is the topic of work-life balance post-COVID. According to a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), companies that prioritize work-life balance not only see an increase in employee productivity and engagement, but also experience a reduction in turnover rates (SHRM, 2022). This highlights the long-term benefits that companies can reap by promoting work-life balance among their employees.
ReplyDeleteThank you Praveen, you raise a valid point, Covid has basically changed the narrative on employee well-being from a "nice to have" to a "must have" organisations have understood its value in achieving their broader goals.
DeleteI actually read an interesting article by Lategan (2023) where he proposes the concept of "Employee wholeness", which he refers to as a more comprehensive approach that takes into consideration all aspects of an employee's life, including physical, emotional, social, financial, and spiritual well-being.
Do check out the article (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beyond-wellness-how-focusing-employee-wholeness-can-benefit-lategan/)
This blog post offers practical and insightful advice on how HR professionals can effectively manage teams in the post-COVID world. It's great to see that you recognize the unique challenges and opportunities presented by remote work and provide concrete strategies for addressing them.
ReplyDeleteIt would be very interesting to discuss the potential long-term impacts of remote work on team dynamics and employee well-being could provide a more comprehensive understanding of this topic. Hope to see those in your future blogs.
Thank you for your comment Prasadi, you've noted something very interesting because a lot of organisations have jumped on the "remote work" or "hybrid work" bandwagon without fully understanding the long-term impacts of that decision. In a research done by Holtz (2021) on Microsoft employees, Holtz found that Remote work caused business groups within the company to become less interconnected and more siloed. The research also found that Microsoft employees to spend less time on synchronous
Deletecommunication, such as conference calls, and more time
on asynchronous communication, such as email.
Do check out the article if you have the time (https://ide.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/HOLTZ_RB_11-23-21.pdf?x78747#:~:text=Results%20show%20that%20firmwide%20remote,communication%20such%20as%20email%20increased.)
Best Regards, Nithila
Great article and well spoken about current situation after pandemic for business entity. As in logistic field we managed to overcome the impact done by Covid Pandemic to corporate world. But in Sri Lanka still some industries such as construction field still finding difficulties to sustain in their industries.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Janaka. Yes, you're quite right, not all industries or sectors are able to adapt their working structure to adjust, there are obvious practical aspects that have to be taken into consideration, perhaps for the construction sector they can focus on areas that do not require physically to be "on-site" like some of the support functions like accounting.
DeleteMy question is regarding the health care sector in Sri Lanka, do you think that Flexi hours and work from remote areas concepts practices for the health care sector? or just leave the question as it's their job to work according to the same pattern even during the pandemic and after. What is your idea regarding employee well-being and emphasis on flexible hours in the Sri Lankan health care sector, especially hospitals?
Delete