The #1 reason the RTO mandates fail and what to do about it

When asked nicely a year ago to return to work in person (RTO), many employees complied. Companies promised employees coming back to the office benefits of spontaneous conversations, teambuilding, collaboration, and mentoring,

Although skeptical that all of those things require being in person, people packed up their laptops at home, dressed in hard pants and shoes, made the commute, unpacked in their corporate offices, and got to work. Every once in a while, they ran into someone, but for the most part, people drove all the way to the office just to work the same way they did from their home offices.

They were alone in an office attending virtual meetings.

Promises made about how great it will be when everyone returns to the office were not reality. Yes, there were fun and games and free pizza lunches; however, those things do not make a culture.

⚫ Their bosses were not there to stop by or mentor. Top leaders weren’t making the same effort to be in the office, so why should everyone else, people wondered.

⚫  There were few in-person development opportunities because most were one-offs or online. Bosses were not inviting them to in-person meetings to learn or contribute something special.

 ⚫ There were very few useful team meetings or brainstorms for valuable purposes. Those are planned so people can prepare, research, bring ideas, and think about next steps.

After a few weeks, people resisted coming in to the office.

Why make the effort to haul the laptop in, suffer the commute, and wear hard pants all day, for an hour of phony teambuilding games and free pizza? Then to work the same way they would at home?

Employees want to come into the office when there is something scheduled and work from home the other times.

That spurred some companies to track employees’ work time, monitor computer usage, require login times, and threaten termination.

Some leaders took up the RTO battle so forcefully, it became the priority blinding them to other issues.

Recently, Salesforce, the $31.4 billion CRM company with 79k employees (Source: Forbes), tried a different tactic: emotional manipulation. For ten days starting this past Monday, the company would donate $10 for every day any employee came to the office.

Those mandates and manipulations are missing the boat.

Employees would want what was promised about RTO: mentoring, learning opportunities, engagement with leaders and each other (for the most part), team building, and brainstorms with purpose.

They do not want to be treated like children. The oversite that comes with being in person is stifling and insulting, yet many managers reverted back to old-fashioned micromanagement as soon as the pandemic ended.

People have changed. Management needs to change too.

No thirty-year old wants to ask permission to go to the dentist or justify leaving early to coach their kid’s soccer game.

Picture the conversation:

• Employee: “Can I leave an hour early next Monday to go to my kid’s soccer game across town?”

• Manager: “Sure. Are you going to skip lunch or come in an hour early that day to make up the time?”

• Employee: “Well, I worked late every day last week on the Travis project.”

• Manager: “Yeah, but how will you make up the time next week?”

Employees recognize that level of micromanagement as distrust.

It disconnects them from the manager, team, and company. A few of those incidents among the team prompt resume updates. It leads to disengagement and departures.

Don’t get it wrong.

People do not mind advising coworkers and managers that they will arrive late or leave early. Professionals from shift workers to customer service reps to HR generalists and accountants understand the need to get the work done and to be there for the team.

It’s the asking for permission part that feels intrusive and childish to grown adults.

When you want people to RTO, update your management style and make it worth it.

Here are three actions you can take to make RTO worthwhile for your people:

1.  Be there too. Be in the office, get your coffee in the break room, grab a group to go out for lunch, and talk to people when you see them around.

2.  Get to know the people you see. Walk around, ask about their day and work. Engage in small talk to show you care, build your network, and identify ways to help people.

3.  Connect people to opportunities. As you engage in small talk and get to know people, you will be able to identify work, learning, and networking opportunities that will be valuable to them. Seek opportunities to connect people so they can contribute, grow, and help others.

The more you are present, engage, and connect others, the better you can inspire people to want to be in the office. You can help create the sense of belonging and purpose people desperately seek right now. (Source: Mayo Clinic)

Inspiring will yield better results for the company than threats of termination will. It will improve your influence as a leader too.

 
______________________________________
Sources:
Forbes.com Profile: Salesforce.com
https://www.forbes.com/companies/salesforce/?sh=6483e83e7a2b

 Is having a sense of belonging important?
Mayo Clinic Health System
December 2021
https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/is-having-a-sense-of-belonging-important

Leadership Lesson from our dog: the best way to handle conflict

The sound of our dog getting sick got me up extra early yesterday. As we sat together while the rest of the house slept, I pondered the many things Bebe has taught me our six years together

One of the most important things she has taught me is to go toward conflict. That's not the same as to love conflict. Let me explain what she does, what she taught.

Maybe your dog does this too.

As the Chief Wellness Officer, Bebe is within a few feet of me in my home office every day, as many of you know from our Zoom meetings.

Throughout the work day, Bebe needs attention, a treat, or a walk. Most of the time, I need a break too, and we take fifteen minutes together. But, on extremely rare occasions, her needs are too frequent, she becomes whiney, and my patience wears thin.

Of course, I do not react harshly to beloved Bebe. But my annoyance is poorly masked as I repeatedly tell her to wait.

The amazing thing she does, the lesson, is: When she knows I am annoyed, she comes to me. She goes toward the conflict.

 When the natural tendency would be to shrink from it, give a stern side-eye, and sulk out of the room, Bebe comes to me instead.

She wants to be sure we are good at all times, even when she recognizes frustration. The funniest thing happens when she comes to me: I apologize to her, pet and kiss her, give treats, and go for a longer walk!

The conflict works out better for us both.

I noticed this behavior a few years ago and have put it into practice with people I care about.

Now, obviously, there aren't too many people I work with who love me as much as Bebe does, or vice versa, but it works!

Go toward the conflict when you feel it. Get back in sync. Make sure people know you didn't mean to be annoying, frustrated, or rude. Or, if they were frustrated, touch base about what’s up with them. Stop by, call, or send an e-mail to clear the air and move forward with grace and greatness. You might notice the relationship is even stronger afterward.

Some wording to consider could be…

• “My apologies for being frustrated earlier. The timeline change made me nervous, but we are on top of it and there’s nothing to worry about after all. Thanks for your understanding.”

• “It sounded like you may have been concerned about the timeline earlier. Can I help?”

Wording that does not help…

• “I’m sorry if you were put off by my frustration earlier.”

Do you see how that apology does not take responsibility for my behavior? Don’t blame them for your rudeness or for noticing it. Take responsibility for your behavior and appreciate their understanding, if that was the case. No more, no less.

Bebe has taught me many things about leadership, friendship, and love. Sometimes I marvel at how simple the lessons are when I just slow down and pay attention like on a Sunday morning.

The world would be better if we could all be the persons our dogs think we are. I’m going to work on that more.

The hot buzzword that’s a strong indicator of leadership failure

Part 1: Why it’s a bigger problem than it might seem and what companies can do about it

When nearly half of 20,000 survey responses say the same thing, it gets my attention. When 85% have the same experience, it blows my mind.

A LinkedIn News poll with over 20,000 respondents last month revealed 48% said they had seen quiet firing in their workplaces. Plus, another 35% had experienced it personally. That’s a whopping 83% of people who have had experience with quiet firing!

Quiet firing is when a manager makes the job so miserable, the employee eventually quits.

Obviously, that is extremely passive-aggressive behavior. Why would so many workplaces let managers get away with it? What does that say about leadership? What should a company do about it?

Managers get away with it because managing people can be exhausting. Here are four reason giving feedback is so exhausting, managers give up and resort to quiet firing instead.

1. Some people get angry and defensive upon hearing any feedback, so managers give up. A highly skilled manager might give feedback once or twice, but if the employee gets angry and defensive, it’s exhausting and not worth it. The manager will shut down, not give feedback any more, and give up on these people. When the manager gives up, the employee’s work quality diminishes further, which eliminates raises, recognition, promotion, or growth.  

2.  Other people may become paranoid of mistakes, lose all confidence, and need constant reinforcement after hearing their quality of work needs a boost. They become “extra,” which is exhausting too. Managers do not have time for hand-holding and doling out trophies for every little task, so they give up on these people too. It’s just easier.

3.  A third reaction to feedback is over-correction. Some people will hear the slightest suggestion for improvement and take it to the extreme and change too much, thus negatively impacting the work. It’s tough for a manager to tell the employee they took it the wrong way, so managers give up on these teammates and let the chips fall where they may.

4. The fourth reaction to feedback is when the employee shuts down. The employee might change the bare minimum but feel so hurt by feedback, they disengage. They may even become quiet quitters. Managers notice and just let them be. They don’t want to hurt the person again, so they just stop engaging too.

Managers may give up on these folks, but they don’t want to let the employee linger too long. They still have budgets and goals to hit this year, so something needs to happen.

To speed up the exit, managers might increase their passive-aggressive behavior.

When a first-level supervisor, Virginia (names have been changed in all stories shared), was not included in the celebratory luncheon for a big project her team completed, she knew she was being quietly fired. The division director had left her and a colleague off the list for the celebration and, when others notified him the day of the luncheon, he offered the two the leftovers in the breakroom.

The director deliberately demoralized two people. What kind of leader grown adult does that? Imagine what he thinks when he looks himself in the mirror at the end of the day.

Be a better leader than him.

When you reach the director level and up, have the courage and skills to have tough conversations. Even when you do not want to. That is part of leadership. You suck it up and do it anyway.

If you do not want to accept the responsibility, then step aside and let someone else step in.

Not only is quiet firing mean, but it is also a significant company problem in five other ways…

1. Others will treat the ostracized employee the way the manager does, and the person will be bullied, ignored, and excluded by friends who see what’s happening but need to keep their jobs.

2. Bullying, shunning, and ignoring takes a toll on the person and the perpetrators. There are mental health and physical health implications when it goes on for months.

3. People will treat each other poorly too. If it’s okay to treat one person that way, it’s okay to treat everyone that way. Trust implodes.

4. Managers will think passive-aggressive is a fine way to handle other issues too. For example, if you happen to see the invoices over-billing a client, drop a hint to your boss, then move on. It’s not your business.

5. Most leaders who act this way are not living in alignment with their core values. The stress and self-loathing that comes with living out of alignment will take their toll on the leaders eventually.

The time, energy, and emotion that goes into quiet firing reveals colossal leadership failures and will lead to company failures too.

Isaac’s story illustrates such failures. He recognized he was being quietly fired when he saw his job posted with a different title on the internal career board. It caused him to take the blinders off to other things he had overlooked in the $11B asset management company where he worked. Isaac updated his resume, landed a new job outside the company, and negotiated a severance package. A year later, the company shut its doors following allegations of mis-charging customers.

When leaders are too weak, burned out, or disconnected to have tough conversations about performance, you can bet your bottom dollar they are too weak, burned out, or disconnected to have them about anything else that matters to the business either. They will certainly not speak up about mis-charging customers if that’s the practice chosen to meet the financial goals of the company.

There is no future in a company with weak, burned out, and disconnected leaders at the helm. Leaders without integrity will bring down the company, and quiet firing may be a glimpse into the unraveling.

Take care of yourself and your leaders to ensure living and leading in alignment with core values is the norm, even when it’s tough.

Next week: Part 2: How to be a leader with courage, integrity, and honor without being a pushover

Quiet quitting: how companies can capitalize on the employee trend

As shared in the previous post here (Quietly quitting the rat race to live life on their own terms), Gallup’s latest engagement survey says at least 50% of employees fall into the disengaged category. Disengaged is where Gallup puts the “quiet quitters.” We prefer to call them Rat Race Rebels.

As discussed previously, the Rebels do their jobs. No less and no more. They set boundaries and won’t work beyond forty hours for free. Elise Freedman, Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry, says quiet quitters decided, “I want to prioritize my well-being overall and things outside of work." (Source: CBS MoneyWatch)

They quit the rat race of working extra hours for free in the hopes of being promoted up the career ladder someday. And, they’ve been warned in recent years that there is no career ladder. It’s more of a lattice now, but they’ve been pushed and pressured to keep working long hours anyway. They have opted out.

Another interesting point from Gallup’s September 6, 2022 survey is the cause of increased disengagement. Gallup says employees are more disengaged since the pandemic because they do not have…

1️⃣ Clarity of expectations

2️⃣ Opportunities to learn and grow

3️⃣ Feelings of being cared about by the company

4️⃣ A connection to the organization's mission or purpose

People don’t want to sacrifice their health and personal lives and feel used just so upper management gets its bonus or so the business owner can send demanding emails from another exotic vacation. They don’t want to come in on Sunday to create the unnecessary TPS cover sheets! (Office Space reference, anyone?)

That makes sense. Doesn’t it?

Everyone cheered when Peter and his colleagues took out their frustration about the corporate coldness on the copier in the movie Office Space because we could relate. Finally, someone rejected the ridiculous and offensive. That’s what the Rebels are doing now. Well, they’re being quieter than beating up the copiers.

The gigantic problem is: many companies and leaders make people feel used. People are rejecting that treatment in 2022.

We have been talking about the importance of expectations, opportunities, care, and purpose for twenty years! Companies and leaders who focus on those four things make sure employees do NOT feel used.

Thankfully, many companies cared about their people and culture long before the pandemic. They showed it when the pandemic began by prioritizing employee health and safety over all else right away. Those companies are listening to employees and being as flexible as possible to accommodate schedule and location preferences.

Other companies are just starting to recognize the importance of seeing employees as people and seeing the bigger picture of all the people together.

What caused this newly found interest in people and culture?

The sudden interest was caused when turnover and time-to-hire reached levels that seriously jeopardize financials. The combination of the Great Resignation and quiet quitters broke the system that companies relied upon for years.

The fact is, many companies depend on the free labor the Rebels are no longer donating to their employers. Companies plan project timelines, budgets, and client deliverables around free labor they do not have access to now.

What can companies do now? Can companies inspire the Rebels back to their old productivity levels?

Probably not.

However, companies can capitalize on the phenomenon so it works better for the company and the employees. It cannot be one-sided in favor of the company. If you truly care about your people, you can execute the five actions below genuinely.

Here are five actions companies can take to capitalize on the Rat Race Rebel phenomenon:

ACTION #1: Re-engage managers. Managers have borne the brunt of the pandemic inside most companies. They had to figure out new processes, systems, and communications. Plus, they had to deal with the emotional and physical toll of the pandemic on employees. All while taking care of themselves and their own loved ones health and needs. It was a lot. Managers are burned out. Re-engage them. Show you appreciate them by listening to their needs and suggestions.

ACTION #2: Clarify manager responsibilities. The managerial role is likely different now than it was pre-pandemic. The workflow, schedules, and location of workers may have caused the need for managers to shift how they plan, organize, and lead. Clarify the company’s expectations of them, and be sure they have the resources needed to succeed.

ACTION #3: Outline a vision. There are two parts to this one. First, for the company: Be sure there is a short-term and long-term vision for the company. Ensure everyone knows how their role contributes to it. Second, for individuals: Invite employees to create a vision for their own lives. Thinking through short-term and long-term aspects of life like financials, for example, may inspire some Rebels to boost engagement. They won’t work twenty hours extra weekly for free, but they may work five and ask for a training course if they envision a career path for themselves. (Tools leaders can use with their teams for this vision exercise were shared with Voyage VIPs this week. If you would like the resource also, please click here to join as our guest.)

ACTION #4: Boost accountability. Everyone should understand the work contract and agree to it. Train managers on delegation, expectations, and communication so accountability is possible. This is key to helping the company benefit from the gifts the Rebels bring to their work.

ACTION #5: Teach managers to coach. Coaching is a new hat managers need to wear now, and it takes practice. One thing managers need to coach people on is the impact of being a Rat Race Rebel.

For example, if someone opts to work from home every day while everyone else on the team chooses to come into the office, they choose to miss daily interactions with coworkers, spur of the moment invitations, and informal mentoring, which may lead to being less prepared for more responsibility, job changes, or promotions. Managers should coach people so they know the consequences of their choices and so managers can support their choices. Lack of coaching can be perceived by the employee as disinterest, which leads to greater disengagement and turnover.

Many managers have given up on the Rebels, but the Rebels could benefit the company. They bring more outside experiences, greater creativity, emotional stability, and less stress. It’s worth it to re-engage managers and help them engage the Rebels and everyone else.

People want clarity, growth opportunities, connection to meaningful purpose, and to know you care. The five actions shared here will help companies and leaders show people they matter more than management’s bonus. When you move the needle of engagement, you capitalize on the quiet quitter trend other companies resent. While your competitors are holding meetings about how to get back at the Rebels, you’re figuring out how to meet them where they are. You will win.

New employee habits call for new management practices. The same old ones won’t work anymore.

(If your company needs a management skill refresh to meet needs of today’s employees, we’ve got you covered. Click here to schedule a call to learn more.)

You may be wasting time at work without even knowing it

We all need a break now and then. We need to call home, write the list of errands to complete on the way home, or email a professor coursework due that night. Taking ten or fifteen minutes once in a while to handle personal business is not wasting time at work.

Of more concern than a few minutes now and then is when time is wasted without awareness.

Here are a few examples:

When entering a division meeting, a colleague within David’s division asks him how a project is going. The colleague, Glenn, is not David’s supervisor but is someone he has worked with on other projects. David happily tells Glenn all about the project as they walk into the meeting and get seated next to each other. Glenn emails David an idea about the project the next day. David replies that the idea is very helpful and will be considered as the project proceeds. He includes something about keeping Glenn informed about the project going forward. Glenn responds that he looks forward to keeping in touch about it.

How could this situation lead to wasting time?

Here’s another one.

A five-person team is working on a project. One teammate, Pauline, writes an article about it for the intranet site at the team’s request. It is an internal article, not an external one or a promotional piece. Pauline sends the article to all teammates for review. One teammate sent the article to his own supervisor to get his input.

How could that lead to wasting time?

Here’s one more.

Peter and Mary were asked to create and deliver a new training course for their division. They have weekly meetings to discuss actions taken thus far and next steps. After the weekly meeting, they divide and conquer with each doing whatever task they named at the meeting. When they get the first draft, they will set a time to meet with the division head about the program and will take it from there.

How could their approach waste time?

Okay, one more.

Jill is working on a proposal due in three days. She just found out one of the most important subcontractors, with unique skills needed for the solution, backed out today. Without a key area of the solution covered, Jill needs to decide how to proceed. She can get a new subcontractor to replace the one that exited the proposal. Or, she could advise her management team that the proposal cannot go forward.

How would either of those options impact Jill’s time? Or, others’ time?

Even with good intentions and the culture of trust at the forefront of our minds, it is not always easy to spot the potential for wasting time. The following ideas can help us avoid spending time ineffectively:

Stop winging it. Nearly all projects need some kind of plan. Whether it is ten pages long with timelines and a team or it’s a list of five bullets, every project needs some thought in advance. Winging it rarely leads to efficiency, and more often causes swirl. At minimum, write a list of tasks needed to be completed and dates for each. Don’t rely on memory for work if you’re trying to be efficient or at the top of your game.

Understand your span of authority. We all have a certain span of authority with our positions. Understand yours and gain input from others as needed. The tendency to gain input for everything can slow teams down. With that said, however, be absolutely certain you have the experience to operate within the span given. If you are attempting something new or making a decision that affects more than one or two people, get support. Seek guidance from colleagues with more experience often; however, do so without relinquishing your responsibility for the decision.

Say “Yes” first. When you work somewhere for a long time, it’s tempting to bring up history along with each new project or idea. Every day people say, “We’ve already tried that here and it didn’t work.” Or, “We have always done it this way.” Keep those historical experiences in mind and share them when ideas develop, not when they are first brought up. They waste time because the conversation ends up being about history, why it did or did not work, or how now is different. Save that battle. It might be unnecessary anyway.

Avoid the weapons of mass distraction. Turn off alerts for Facebook, Snap Chat, and other social platforms. Turn off email pop-up notifications, set a time to check email throughout the day instead of one at a time upon arrival, and create rules to manage incoming email efficiently.

Stop multitasking. Multitasking got trendy for a while, but research is proving it is wasting time. MIT’s Dr. Earl Miller is one of the leading researchers on multitasking, and his studies show there is no such thing. People are not really doing two things at once, they are switching rapidly between two or three things. That is causing errors, duplication of effort, and stress. We all have more than one task on our plates at the same time. Single-tasking, instead of multi-tasking, just means focusing on whatever you are working on at the moment. Work at a quick clip—avoiding distractions and interruptions—and complete the work. Bouncing all over the place wastes time.

Contribute well to meetings. If I had a dollar for every time someone complained about inefficient meetings, I’d be wealthier than last week’s Powerball winners. There is zero excuse for meetings without objectives and agendas. Even if both must be stated at the start of the meeting, state them. Identify the topics needed to discuss, plan an appropriate amount of time for each, and proceed as planned. If deviation from the agenda is needed, advise the participants. Holding people hostage is annoying and rude. Side conversations, being unprepared, and not following the agenda are too. Pay attention so topics do not have to be repeated, especially if you participate via the phone. Whether you are the host or participant, you contribute to whether the meeting is useful or a time-suck.

Be aware of how you spend time each day. They say time is a gift. Each day, we are given the gift of 1,440 minutes. Be selective about how you spend each one and don’t take any one for granted by wasting it without awareness.

What else helps you be efficient at work? Share more tips.