Sit back and ask yourself: “What kind of a manager am I?
Are you:
A micro-manager?
Glued to old ways of working?
The type of person that must see colleagues working (either in-person or online) to know that they’re working?
In a previous article, we listed a variety of behaviours that you could be guilty of.
In this new-normal, organisations are being forced to adopt new work modes such as work-from-home and the office-home hybrid. Managers need to ensure that they’re mindful of their employees’ feelings and preferred ways of working.
Let’s explore some ways managers can practice ‘workplace’ mindfulness in the new normal:
1. Understand emergencies
You never know when your colleague’s kid’s school is going to shift to home-based-learning. Or their family members have been alerted to take a Covid-19 test because of close proximity to a positive case. Don’t dismiss their claims, and allow them the space to do the needful so that they have peace of mind. After all, knowing that everything is fine at home gives your employees the headspace to focus on their work.
2. Note taking – flexibility to use laptops instead of notebooks
Have you come across managers who insist that their employees keep their hands away from the phone or the laptop (unless it’s to present)? It is true that with remote working, there is a greater tendency to do other things during meetings like check emails or phone messages, look at unrelated sites or documents, or even play games (shocked? Don’t be). However, some colleagues prefer taking digital notes instead of the good ol’ pen and paper. If you’re a traditionalist, don’t expect everyone to be the same. What you could do at the start of the meeting is to ask for everyone’s attention during the meeting. You should also ensure active participation to prevent their attention from waning.
(Although if their attention is waning, you may want to reflect on your meeting or your ability to keep them interested).
3. Start times
Much has been said about working 9-to-5 (if you were around in the 1980s, you may have enjoyed the classics from music artistes Sheena Easton and Dolly Parton with their classics 9-to-5 (Morning Train) and 9-to-5 respectively). It’s the new millennium, and expecting that of colleagues in today’s times is unnecessary and somewhat draconian. With everything that’s going on, people expect some flexibility from their managers. They may not be online at 8.30am or 9am sharp, but trust them to get the job done. All they’ll need to do is to be contactable if there’s an emergency, and be present at meetings.
4. Choosing to work-from-home but in alignment with local regulations
“If I can’t see my colleague working…she’s not working”. Has that thought ever crossed your mind? If it has, then you’re in need of a serious reality check. Despite governments advising people to work from home if it can be helped, some managers expect their teams to show up and work in the office. They endangering themselves and their colleagues by forcing them to travel to work and be at the workplace; and they are also displaying a major disregard for local regulations. Covid-19 has got many people spooked, so don’t be the manager who makes it worse.
5. Medical certificates vs self-medicating
Gone are the days when every sniffle or sneeze needs to be backed up with a medical certificate. During these crazy times, people are avoiding their local medical practitioners’ offices unless it’s absolutely necessary. Allow your teammates to self-medicate and recuperate at home if they prefer to, instead of forcing them to visit the doctor – just so that you can see their medical certificate.
6. Taking leave and time off
Much has been written about people’s well-being during Covid-19. The European branch of the World Health Organisation wrote that “In public mental health terms, the main psychological impact to date is elevated rates of stress or anxiety”. The report also mentioned loneliness, depression and more drastic behaviours arising from new measures and impacts. For many managers, these situations are not easy to handle. If a colleague requests for some time off, or to use some days from their annual leave allocation to get better, don’t question it. Give them the time and space to feel and get better.
During these unprecedented times, it’s time for middle managers to evolve and become mindfulness managers.