Leading at a Distance. Darleen DeRosa

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Название Leading at a Distance
Автор произведения Darleen DeRosa
Жанр Управление, подбор персонала
Серия
Издательство Управление, подбор персонала
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781119782452



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that he believes that remote work is no substitute for in-person interaction, and he has seen alienation among younger workers. As a result, the bank started bringing workers back to the office in significant numbers in the fall of 2020. Many other CEOs we interviewed for the book would agree, especially at companies that either design and manufacture physical products, like Nike, or that have notable apprenticeship cultures, such as Goldman Sachs.

      The Third Perspective: Somewhere in the Middle

      At the same time, Kathleen shares the sentiment expressed by almost all the other leaders we spoke with: There is no substitute for being in person. “A big aspect of being with other people is the serendipity that often presents itself in life.” She worries about that loss both individually and organizationally. Employees seem to agree that there is something to be said for the hybrid approach. “While we continue to learn, our current research shows roughly 80% of our employees want to go back to the office, but with greater flexibility, while roughly 20% say they want to work from home all the time. Some thought the 80/20 rule would be in favor of people wanting to work from home given COVID and we are seeing the opposite.”

      Yet despite articulating many of the benefits, Jamie concluded that working remotely has been a slight net negative. He knows that connecting with people is a huge part of leadership and he misses managing by walking around, having the three-minute conversations in the halls, elevators, or cafeteria. For him, working remotely while coming into the company from outside – Jamie had been COO of Walmart's gigantic e-commerce business – has created challenges building new relationships. “It's relatively easy and efficient to translate a 3D relationship into 2D, but it's hard just to start and build a meaningful relationship in 2D.”

      Learning to lead virtually isn't the only priority. To succeed, leaders must understand how to thrive as individuals working at a distance. This will require creating new systems and routines for you as an individual to address the things that are gone because of the lack of the structure of the office. You'll need to figure out how to be productive and deliver results while staying healthy, engaged, and sane.

      Moving forward, leaders and organizations are all confronting a series of important issues:

       How to optimize the impact of virtual leadership

       How to help employees have the most positive experiences so that their organizations can deliver the most positive results on a sustainable basis

       How to hire, train, coach, and promote employees virtually on an ongoing basis that lets them integrate into the fabric of the organization and thrive

       How to shift business models and organizational structures as the world continues to evolve

       How to think about the return to the office and the future of work in a post-COVID-19 world

       How to evolve corporate cultures from a distance

       And how, on an individual basis, to retain the energy, vitality, and enthusiasm that are needed in organizations and the world more than ever

      Until now, there has not been a research-based, practical resource available to address these questions and guide leaders who must engage and lead from a distance. The objective of this book is to fill that gap and provide a hands-on, effective toolkit for organizations and leaders of remote employees and virtual teams. While this book can certainly be read from cover to cover, we recommend that you also use it as a chapter-by-chapter reference, making it your go-to guide for virtual leadership.