There’s a clear case of Covid-fatigue settling amongst the workforce. The tips and best practices we learned and used during the first outbreak of Covid and confinement in March-May are no longer ‘cutting it’. They were mostly quick-fixes, designed to help us make it through a rough time, like a plaster on what turns out to be a serious infection! Leaders now need to dig much deeper and have authentic and non-judgmental conversations with their team members in order to figure out how to keep them engaged throughout the Winter as Covid-novelty wears off and Christmas celebrations are at risk.
Covid, round II
The pandemic took us by storm in March. Companies adapted fast. The impossible was achieved! Within a few weeks, most workforces around the world were set up to work from home, and this was done just a little while after many leaders were saying that working from home ‘could not work’.
When Covid became a reality in March-April, there was a sense of global ‘war’ and crisis that made everyone feel very patriotic towards the human race. We felt united in war: “We will beat this!”. Working from home was a way to survive while contributing to the fight against evil. The surreal situation we found ourselves in and the novelty factor turned a crisis into something (almost) engaging. We cut each other some slack while funny anecdotes about video conferencing missteps made us laugh. We were globally united and our ability to adapt was going to, once again, save our species!
Then, as Covid rules became more lenient, the Summer holidays happened. Most of us got the chance during the Summer to experience some kind of normality: Taking time off, enjoying family reunions, traveling again. It felt well deserved, as if our Summer vacation was the armistice. Around June-July, before we stopped staring at our screens, there were talks of going back to the office in September. Our life felt on track again.
However, when we came back to work late August - early September, Covid was back at the forefront of our lives. It had not gone away, it had not been defeated. That’s when many workers started hearing about their offices being either shut for good or until Summer 2021. Our new normal was not engaging anymore, it was old and dragging. We started calling it by its real name: “Isolation”.
It's interesting to note that it took us decades to embrace the telephone in the first half of the 20th century to the point that we would use it casually and integrate it into our daily lives. In contrast, we had to embrace video conferencing as our sole link to others within a few months.
Several leaders I coach started noticing a considerable dip in engagement, collaboration, communication and efficiency in September. The ‘back to school’ thrill only lasted a couple of weeks. Leaders now wonder how to help their teams function in an optimal manner. Many tips have been exchanged. A lot of thinking has gone into meetings best practices. We’ve explored how far we could get without sitting next to each other.
What we have not yet adapted to is the loss of belonging.
It’s so natural to feel like you belong to a tribe when you walk into an office, sit amongst colleagues, have informal chats at the coffee machine, share an impromptu joke... While sitting alone all day at home, we now struggle to feel like we belong anywhere. The sense of belonging ranks number 3 in Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. It’s high because humans are pack-animals. There is safety in number and in diversity. Yet, we have not figured out how to get the sense of belonging back, when we have not seen colleagues in the flesh in over 6 months… Days are shortening, the weather’s worsening, we’re all worried about how Covid is going to impact Christmas… Now we feel the crunch and no tip or quick-fix can shift that. So what can?
Why do you do what you do?
While working from home, the difference between feeling engaged and feeling disconnected may come from knowing why we do what we do. I find myself speaking about this more and more with the leaders I coach.
Granted, most of us work because we need to make a living. But there are endless ways to make a living, especially for talented people. So - income aside - why do you do what you do?
It’s surprising how few people can answer this question! Here may lie the real problem and the long-term solution to isolation.
The ones who know why they do what they do, talk about it in an enthusiastic, non-rehearsed manner with passion in their voice. They don’t necessarily like working from home, but they see it as a small price to pay so they get to continue doing something that is core to their well-being and sense of purpose.
Here are some examples of answers I hear when I ask: “Why do you do what you do?”:
“I am learning”: Learning is your number one focus, so it does not matter if other areas of the job are tough.
“I contribute to something big”: The knowledge that you're making a difference to society or a community and being part of a wider goal keeps you going.
“I feel useful, seen and appreciated, I get validation”: In a previous blog post I talked about imposter syndrome and how it affects 70% of people during their career. Validation and recognition are the cool-aid of imposter syndrome. Without external validation from their boss or peers, many people question their value.
“This company is my extended family”: Knowing there’s nowhere else you should be, no other company that deserves your effort more than the one you currently work for, is a great doubt-eliminator.
Employees, at any level of seniority, who know why they do what they do, beyond how challenging it may be to do it right now, are in a strong position. The sense of purpose, achievement and satisfaction they get from their role overcomes by far the discomfort of working from home. Their mission is more important than their reality!
Employees who don’t know why they are part of their company or why they do this specific job, are the most at risk. For them, the routine (commuting to the office every day, sitting next to colleagues for 8 hours and bonding...) is what gave meaning to their job. Without this routine, nothing makes sense any more. Why here and not elsewhere? Why this job and not another? Covid has stripped their work of any sense.
We’re at the beginning of a human reinvention, so it’s important to stay humble and to remember that we’re figuring things out as we go along. There is however no benefit in delaying a conversation with your team about why they do what they do.
If they don’t know, help them figure it out so they can hang on to their motivation during the most challenging moments of isolation and soul searching.
Once leaders know what their and their team's core motivation is, it’s much easier in times of disengagement to tap into our personal North-star and - at a low point - discuss how to ignite it again.
Unprecedented challenges bring the necessity to have deeper conversations that can alleviate the isolation we’re all experiencing. A year ago, it was enough for a leader to ask his team about their goals, their progress and to offer support. It no longer is the case. Now’s the time to discuss openly people’s most burning purpose and motivation, and turn this into the glue that makes talent stay and perform.