Future-fit leadership; a culture of communication

Being forced to working remotely in 2020 surprised many of us.

What is new is the profound transformation of the notion of work and how we work.

The future of work is not new, but COVID-19 has served as the ultimate accelerant to long-anticipated changes, pulling all of us forward from 2020 to 2025 and beyond with swift mass adoption of these life-changing situations.

Trends in the way that we live and work have taken months rather than years to become deep-rooted; and like it or not, there is no going back to the old normal

As managers and leaders, we have learned quickly that it is most likely that we will not be operating again as we did pre-crisis. The ability to adapt to new and changing conditions has always been essential for success, and now, more than ever.

The pandemic has advanced the digital transformation of businesses and brought individual health and well-being to the forefront as a critical priority. New priorities and approaches at every step on the path toward the new future of work, elasticity, adaptability, and responsibility have defined future-fit leaders and organizations.

With work now truly boundaryless, we all now require a safe, productive, and seamless experience wherever we work.

Being able to work from anywhere is the only path forward. We are now in a worker-centric world.

Australia has out-performed the world with its management of the pandemic. We are now at an inflection point with those who are bold, considered, and timely in reimagining the future standing to gain a significant competitive advantage.

As leaders, we have had to embrace new skills to motivate and lead our teams all being forced out of their comfort zones to be heard and to continue with the momentum and make it happen.

Overnight we were stripped of several key “pre COVID” communication mediums abruptly forcing us to rethink how we can get our message across, still make an impact and continue to meet deliverables and sales targets.

Face to face, corridor, water cooler catch-ups, coffee runs, lunch meets, after-work drinks, and basic physical interaction were all suddenly shut down and not all of us coped so well. Many of us were forced to get more creative just to be noticed and for some just to keep onto their jobs.

As good leaders and inspiring teachers key to communication with our teams and students have been constantly checking in, regardless of virtual or not.

2020 has taught us that the frequency of each piece of communication, and the constant sharing of bite-sized chunks of information is essential to keep the communication flow fluid. Vital to keep our teams motivated, aligned and to support their health and wellness.

Virtual learning/working has forced us to become good observers of our people, fine-tuning our insights to where they are at, or not at. Perceptive leaders are able to provide comfort and support to those troubled and struggling; whilst simultaneously challenge those who need more, underperforming being in their comfort zones.

COVID-19 has accentuated a culture of communication within an organisation which can make or break it.

How our people receive their information and understanding communication styles has been paramount; silence creates space for people to make theatre in their minds - it’s between the zooms where it really matters.

Back to basics.

* Do you know how each of your team members like to receive information?

* Do they need pre-reading, time to digest or like it straight up and direct?

* Do they need your Zoom face or can you do a dial-in audio-only meeting?

* How do you show up in your remote meetings? This sets up the tone for your team and they most likely will mirror your lead.

* Have you consciously developed a virtual work “people strategy”?

Working from home can be terrifyingly isolating for some. Consider reconnecting experiences to deliver memorable moments for people at work, at home and anywhere that work happens.

Do you ask for feedback? There is never going to be a naturally good moment for someone to give you feedback, particularly when you’re not co-located. You need to straight out ask for it to get the answers you need. How do you create clarity and hold people to account virtually?

The big winners will be those who are the responsible and future-fit companies who have embraced and implemented a culture of communication, evolved and leaned in to understand their teams’ varying communication styles and a diverse set of new “workplace” behaviours.

We can all embrace this opportunity to thrive and break from the old mainstream thinking to come back better than before.

Enjoy every moment and show gratitude for the small things. This isn’t temporary, it is our next normal.

M Mentis and Co manage incoming leads, and the marketing and sales processes for small to mid-sized organisations allowing them to confidently outsource these functions so they can get back to doing what they are great at. The team at M Mentis and Co recognise how important it is to understand the varying communication styles and cultures within each organisation that they work alongside to enable their clients to grow their markets, broaden their customer base and realise their sales potential.