Author: Dr. Stephanie Eubank (AKA Dr. Bear)

Hi there! My name is Stephanie Diana Eubank and I am a doctoral student at Concordia University Chicago in their online program for Doctorate of Business Administration. My Masters' degree was completed also online at Southern New Hampshire University in Operations Management with an emphasis in Project Management. Prior to my dissertation completion, I will be getting married and once completing my DBA program I will become Dr. Mrs. Stephanie Diana Eubank (Dr. Bear). All the while working full time as one of the country’s experts in Condo Mortgage Underwriting Compliance. The focus broad topic of my dissertation is remote employment which has never been timelier with the recent lockdowns of quarantine during the COVID-19 crisis.

Remote Work is the Key to Increasing Creativity in the Workplace by Encouraging Diversity.

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank

The topic of diversity in the workplace is a stimulant for creative problem solving and has been well researched and embraced in business.  In the Forbes article, Agona (2021); explains in layman’s terms why diversity creates more creative problem-solving.  In a nutshell, as detailed in, Agona (2021), workplaces with people with the same culture and similar backgrounds can create group thinking and, yes, people.  The article, Agona (2021); goes on to note that workplaces with diverse workforces have more dissenting ideas.  It may seem counterintuitive to have “no” people on one’s team, but as detailed in, Agona (2021); the diversity and difference of opinions and views leave room for developing creative problem-solving.

Companies that want to expand diversity to increase collaboration and creative problem-solving have a unique opportunity to do so in remote workplaces.  Sadly, many companies are missing out by pushing back against remote work.  As detailed in, Hunt (2021); remote workplaces allow for people from diverse, social, ethnic, and geographic locations.  Additionally, in the Forbes article, Hunt (2021); notes that single parents and women benefit from remote work as it allows more balance between life and work.

In the past companies often had to address geographic issues by transplanting or having to relocate workers from one area to a mecca of the industry like Silicon Valley.  Other issues when companies relocated to areas such as Texas to cut costs of running a business and paying to relocate employees or losing a large proportion of the staff because relocation would cause professional isolation.  As detailed in Cascio (2000), professional and geographical isolation has been long documented issues in remote work. The pandemic has since made this into an opportunity.   

In a LinkedIn article, McLaren (2021); details how the pandemic made many companies convert to remote, allowing expanded use of telecommunications tools like Zoom and Teams to be used more frequently and normalized.  Further detailed in the article, McLaren (2021); the wide utilization of remote work has helped dwindle the need for relocation and the costs for companies.  Further remote work has helped expand the use of telecommunication systems to dispel the age-old argument that remote work in business dulls collaboration and productivity. 

The facts about remote work and diversity and how remote work aids inclusivity shifts the conversation to ask how does a company battling the Great Resignation deal with attracting and retaining a diverse workforce?  As detailed in the article by White (2021), there are three ways to accomplish this.

  1. Encourage remote work and be willing to negotiate remote or hybrid work.
  2. Develop more comprehensive PTO plans and make proper accommodations regarding COVID and family leave. 
  3. Hiring managers who understand that employees are humans and respect the boundaries of their personal time. 

To quote one of my industry mentors, leaders need to remember to “Focus on managing the work not managing the people”.  Developing that concept in a nutshell as part of remote organizational culture will encourage employee retention and curb the stress on leaders and followers.

In conclusion, companies need to encourage remote work as a tool to increase diversity in the workplace.  The recession and the great resignation are teaching all sectors of business the value of creative problem solving and how diversity helps encourage collaborative thoughts.  Remote work is an underused tool to help give organizations the competitive advantage needed to survive the trials ahead.

If you would like to read more on remote work and diversity, please see the citations below. Also, if you like this post, be sure to leave a comment, like, and subscribe. Sharing is caring, so please share far and wide.

Work Cited

Agona, L. (2021, October 13). Council post: Is remote work a diversity and inclusion issue? Forbes. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/10/13/is-remote-work-a-diversity-and-inclusion-issue/?sh=3f16d771626c

Cascio, W. F. (2000). Managing a virtual workplace. Academy of Management Perspectives, 14(3), 81–90. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.2000.4468068

Hunt, S. T. (2021, May 12). SAP brandvoice: How hybrid remote work improves diversity and inclusion. Forbes. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2021/05/12/how-hybrid-remote-work-improves-diversity-and-inclusion/?sh=8965f01321fe

McLaren, S. (2021, February 3). Why the rise of remote work may help companies become more diverse – and more inclusive. LinkedIn. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-acquisition/why-remote-work-may-help-companies-become-more-diverse

White, N. (2021, May 27). Here’s how to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in a remote-work world. Entrepreneur. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/372149

Six Reasons Why Companies Should Promote Remote Work as the Primary Workplace Environment?

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank

There are a number of articles in the news about companies pushing back against remote workers.  A particularly glaring example is the NBC News article, Bendix (2022), which is cited below, commenting on Elon Musk stating that remote work is “no longer acceptable.”  There have been a number of old-school comments that have, according to the article written by Cascio (2000), noted excuses about hindrances to collaboration that have been bought up since the 1980s.  (Yes, remote work has been a concept researched in business since the 1980s.  Sadly, it took a pandemic for the world to see that remote work is the future.)  The research cited from SHRM, Maurer (2021); comments on how comments of lack of productivity and lack of collaboration in remote workplaces that have been spouted sing the ’80s is flat out wrong, and the lockdowns during the pandemic proved it.

These arguments from leadership on the validity of remote work are causing the round in circles argument that has sparked what is coined “The Great Resignation.”  The Great Resignation is famous for employees no longer asking for remote workplaces but rather demanding remote workplaces.

As an effort to stop the merry-go-round of arguments from leadership, this article is to address why companies should encourage remote work as it is for their (business industry as a whole) best interests. Here is a list of why businesses should work to pivot and encourage the expansion of remote work.

  1. Remote workers take less time off.  This is a true statement about remote workers as they have a better ability to coordinate doctor’s appointments and family and friends engagements, among other personal needs, during break and lunch hours in a remote workplace.  Where in an onsite capacity, there is often the physical distance between work and home, and this can create delays, and tardiness for employees before, during, and after work.  Remote workers also take fewer sick days as they power through work while sick and do not infect the entire workforce when these workers work from home. This offers employees a level of freedom not seen in previous generations.
  2. Investors crave more transparency of the work and products being created.  Remote work gives businesses more transparency to show investors.  Remote work is also an easy way to provide additional transparency to investors. 
  3. Remote work allows for more workers to balance work and family.  Which, I hear a lot of business owners ask me, “why does that benefit business”?  According to the most recent PEWs research, Kramer (2021); the United States of America has the highest single-parent household demographic in the country. According to the PEWs Research, Kramer (2021), 23% of American households are single-parent households.  For business leaders who may have staffing issues finding quality workers to come onsite is difficult.  And those they can hire may have attendance issues, tardiness, and issues with obtaining childcare.

Remote work allows employees to balance this issue and make child care more affordable.  (Speaking from a mother’s perspective, it is easier and cheaper to get a nanny in the home while I am at home than to drop my children at daycare. Moreover, businesses forget or discriminate against those employees who have families. In the Forbes article, Ibarra et al. (2017); noted that men, especially single men without children, tend to be promoted more. They are promoted more than women or men with children, regardless of marital status. According to Ibarra et al. (2017), businesses tend to view single men as “hungry” and more “go-getters.” 

However, now that we are in a pandemic and unprecedented recession, businesses are undervaluing people with families.  People with families are both skilled and show commitment.  Giving these employees a remote workplace allows for increasing employee retention and maintaining a skilled workforce.  Another thing major corporation forgets on this topic is that employee retention is both cheaper than recruiting and looks better to investors and the public compared to a publicized revolving door of employees.

  • Companies argue that there is a skilled labor shortage.  This is a misnomer because companies are not working to attract one of the biggest demographic of educated and skilled labor.  Specifically women. As detailed in the research article, Perry (2021); noted that women for the twelve years of the research project have consistently all the doctorate degrees awarded in the United States been awarded to women. In the master’s degree article, Perry (2021); notes women earned 60% of the awarded master’s degrees.  In the article, Perry (2021); goes on to talk about how these women did not get advanced degrees in underwater basket weaving or other nonsensical programs.  The women detailed in the research of Perry (2021); earned degrees in STEM, business, and other marketable and needed skills. According to the Washington Post article, Collins et al. (2021); show that mothers’ employment has dropped by over 7% as of 2021.  This information is further supported by Kramer (2021); which noted that of the 23% of single parents in the US, single moms are the biggest demographic of single parents.  Women are slow to return to the workforce because of a lack of childcare.  This means companies not investing in remote work are missing out on the opportunity to get the edge on the completion by having the skilled and highly educated demographic of women. 
  • Two basic principles are taught in business school regarding leadership and development.  One of your employees is an organization’s greatest resource.  The second is that diversity in an organization allows for more creative problem-solving.  In the Forbes article, Hunt (2021); Professor Hunt notes that remote work encourages diversity.  In the article, Hunt (2021); goes on to repeat the concept that diversity in the workplace increases creativity.  This flies in the face of the argument used since the 1980s that remote work decreases creativity and collaboration. 
  • So, many companies get subsidies and tax write-offs, among other governmental benefits in the United States.  This is not a well-hidden secret. With remote work, employees have the ability to spread out and live in less expensive areas.  The real estate market has noted since the start of the pandemic of remote workers moving to lower-income areas such as Texas, Kentucky, and Mississippi.  With these workers relocating, they are bringing their “big city money.”  As such, this has made it so many of these communities experience unprecedented growth.   Showing that business is doing what the government has been unable to do with regard to lifting up struggling communities.  This gives businesses more wiggle room to negotiate more benefits within governmental support.  However, this negotiating power that companies now have predicates on companies’ willingness to let go of old management concepts and evolve with how the world has changed. This change to remote work will benefit all around if the fear of change is managed more.

All six of these reasons are in addition to the fact remote workplaces allow for lower overhead costs, and give companies the ability to pare down the real estate and other physical operations costs.  Making remote work even more of a win-win scenario.  The reasons noted above are topics that have been researched since at least 80’, especially in relation to remote work specifically. All the research cited in this article is noted below in the work cited in case you want to read further. 

The conclusion to this article is that remote work is an unprecedented opportunity for business, and many of the most outspoken thought leaders are giving pushback to all industries’ detriment.  Especially these thought leaders saying no to remote work are influencing other leaders to cut their own noses off despite their faces.   The business world and the workplace where business is conducted are changing, and companies either evolve or share the fate of dinosaurs.

Work Cited

Bendix, A. (2022, June 8). Musk is pushing staff back to the office, but the research is only partly on his side. NBCNews.com. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/elon-musk-staff-back-office-research-mixed-rcna32136

Cascio, W. F. (2000). Managing a virtual workplace. Academy of Management Perspectives, 14(3), 81–90. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.2000.4468068

https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/ame.2000.4468068

Collins, C., Ruppanner, L., & Scarborough, W. J. (2021, November 8). Analysis | why haven’t U.S. mothers returned to work? the child-care infrastructure they need is still missing. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/11/08/why-havent-us-mothers-returned-work-child-care-infrastructure-they-need-is-still-missing/

Hunt, S. T. (2021, May 12). SAP brandvoice: How hybrid remote work improves diversity and inclusion. Forbes. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2021/05/12/how-hybrid-remote-work-improves-diversity-and-inclusion/?sh=8965f01321fe

Ibarra, H., Carter, N. M., & Silva, C. (2017, September 7). Why men still get more promotions than women. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://hbr.org/2010/09/why-men-still-get-more-promotions-than-women

Kramer, S. (2021, May 28). U.S. has world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households. Pew Research Center. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/12/12/u-s-children-more-likely-than-children-in-other-countries-to-live-with-just-one-parent/

Maurer, R. (2021, July 6). Study finds productivity not deterred by shift to remote work. SHRM. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/study-productivity-shift-remote-work-covid-coronavirus.aspx

Perry, M. (2021, October 14). Women earned the majority of doctoral degrees in 2020 for the 12th … American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/women-earned-the-majority-of-doctoral-degrees-in-2020-for-the-12th-straight-year-and-outnumber-men-in-grad-school-148-to-100/

Attitudes of Teams Reflect Leadership: The New Type of Leader Is Needed Post COVID

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank

As we grow into the new normal that is our post-COVID lockdown world the concept of remote work and the remote workplace are going to require companies to change what leaders are promoted and developed.   There is a traditional trope of leaders using authentic leadership as a catch-all term to excuse bad behavior.  This is the opposite of what true authentic leadership is.

There is a wonderful FORBES article, Kruse (2014); defines authentic leadership best.  Article, Kruse (2014); defines authentic leadership as a person in leadership that leads with the following concepts:

  • A leader who is genuinely themselves and self-aware,
  • Mission-driven,
  • Empathetic leadership, and
  • These leaders focus on the long game. 

Leaders who follow the true definition of authentic leadership are now being coined as “Empathic Leaders”.  With the stress of remote work, and COVID still raging employees in remote workplaces are suffering from a whole host of new issues that in the past research of remote work were not the case. So, moving leaders who may or may not have had Toxic Leadership traits into a remote workplace is not only helping to drive employees to join the Great Resignation movement both in remote and onsite settings.

We have all had a toxic leader in the workplace. The concept of toxic leadership and how it may cause trauma to employees emotionally has been becoming a better-documented issue due to the great resignation. Traumatized workers don’t want to work on-site or remote for a company promoting a toxic work environment through the work of a toxic leader.  Attitudes in the workplace reflect leadership. In many cases unfortunately employee trauma reflects previous leadership at other companies’ toxicity. 

There is even now a concept of The article found in Psychology Today on the topic of toxic leadership, Kim (2016); notes specific qualities in toxic leaders.  Those traits are as follows:

  • Toxic Leaders cannot take criticism or suggestions.
  • Toxic leaders go beyond bragging, these leaders go out of their way to be self-promoters.  These are leaders who take praise and don’t acknowledge their team and their contributions.
  •  These toxic leaders also lie and are constantly inconstant with instruction and standards.  Further, these leaders may rely on gas lighting methods to keep employees in line. (This doesn’t work well in a remote setting).
  • Toxic leaders tend to be risk-takers and thus tend to ignore compliance and have a lack of ethical standards. This isn’t to say leaders who do a proper risk assessment are all toxic.  However, toxic leaders tend to not have an ethical code and just outright ignore rules outside of a reasonable risk assessment.  These leaders tend to be in the fight for themselves and not their team.
  • Toxic leaders also tend to promote others with the same behaviors and toxicity that they do. 
  • These toxic leaders also will promise mentoring and training, but the mentoring and training is subpar.  Personal experience and research show that often this is done on purpose on the part of a toxic leader for fear the student will surpass the master. Confident true authentic leaders get when their mentees do well it is a positive reflection on them and all tides lift all boats.  Personally, I have found that the workplace is like a cross-country running team.  What I mean by this is on a cross country running team you are still a team with an end goal but as individuals, you are still competing with each other.  The trick confident leaders and teachers have learned is that the key is to keep working on yourself and developing more skills so that mentees are on your team and there is more to offer to our mentees.
  • Another toxic leadership trait that seems to follow from high school is toxic leaders tends to develop cliques.  Almost “Mean girls”, level cliques in the workplace even remotely.  This behavior causes tribalism in the workplace and can ruin any collaborative and creative culture in an onsite or remote workplace.
  • Lastly, toxic leaders tend to create a scapegoat in the workplace and do a lot of bullying.  Often times the bullying and scapegoating can go on through the use of micro-management. Although micro-management is a leadership tool that is needed from project to project to help with quality control and training it can become abusive if it becomes a leader’s main methodology of leadership.  One thing I have encountered in consulting on remote team development is the question, “well don’t you need constant micro-management in remote work?”.  The answer is no.  True authentic leaders know that they can reach out and follow up and use tools to manage productivity and use qualitative and quantitative analysis of productivity.  A mentor of mine once told me, “Manage the work not the people”.  In my research and experience, it means to trust and give autonomy so that work and projects can be managed properly.

Toxic leaders are now easier to uncover in a remote workplace.  This creates a Human Resource (HR) nightmare in the making.  The reason for this is toxic leaders make hostile work environments.  Not to mention that these kinds of leaders scare away potential hires.  If a company wants to end the revolving door business leaders need to cultivate empathetic leaders and people who truly embody the true meaning of authentic leadership.  Also, embracing remote work would help too, but; one issue at a time.

In the comments share some experiences you have had in the workplace virtual and onsite of toxic leaders.  And remember sharing is caring.   Like and share. There are additional resources on these topics referenced below. 

Answer To Industry Leaders on Remote Work

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank AKA Dr Bear DBA

There is an interesting Fortune article, https://fortune.com/2022/04/05/google-work-from-home-hybrid-return-to-office-eric-schmidt/ which, Lodewick (2022); is cited in APA format below.  In said article, Lodewick (2022); interviews Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt on the topic of remote work and Google’s choice to work towards more of a hybrid model.  Where in the article it is noted that Schmidt calls himself a traditionalist regarding remote work there are some changes to the business landscape that can no longer be traditional and practiced. 

I want to start with saying that I mean no disrespect to Eric Schmidt.  He is still an OG within business and tech industries with experience running one of the biggest organizations on the planet.  His opinion is valid.  However, businesses and growing companies seeing this opinion from Schmidt, needs to factor in the changes in the business landscape since he served with Google in 2001 to 2011. 

Such as in the article, Laker (2022); which is a Forbs article that can be found at https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2022/02/17/from-the-great-resignation-to-the-great-return-bringing-back-the-workforce/?sh=11bdc91025e5 .  In the article, Laker (2022); it is detailed how companies are finding during the pandemic and what has been coined as the “Great Resignation”, companies not offering remote positions or negotiating remote work are having a hard time recruiting.  As an area of expertise in the business arena the concept of working in the office is too old school for the changing market.  Companies pushing back against this growing work preference is really companies cutting off their noses despite their faces.  Remote work saves companies time and money.  Also allows for managers to build boundaries while also being true authentic leaders.  Meaning leaders can manage with empathy and the best parts about being human. The only difference is leaders must reach out to their teams and put effort into team bonding and collaboration. 

Further the article from Fortune, Lodewick (2022); Schmidt makes some rather ageist comments about hiring young graduates and how onsite work allowed him to mentor and advise these hires on professional behavior, and proper dress.  Those are concepts that have changed dramatically since COVID.  We are seeing up and down the chain employees and leaders tossing old dress code norms for comfort and dressing showier only for special occasions. Also, remote work allows for more mentorship in proper professional decorum without risk of Human Resource nightmares.  Speaking from experience people who are HR nightmares from the remote workplace and don’t learn from their lessons they are going to be worse in the office.  Mostly because on site means

The article, Lodewick (2022); also noted that the former head of Human Resources at Google saw the method of using a hybrid program to trick employees into getting used to the office again.  Essentially the thought is that someone employees can be tricked into wanting to come back to the office full time.  The article by Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/01/27/why-leaders-need-to-reevaluate-how-they-manage-their-workforce-today/?sh=71191ef6118e , cited below as Licina (2022); notes this method is a mistake in the long run.  Within the Forbes article, Licina (2022); it cites how leaders need to learn to lead in a remote work environment.  Also, that employees since COVID have taken a step back and re-evaluated what is most important to them and a commute and the inflation of housing near cities where many industry leaders are located are not top priorities for employees.  Not to mention overcrowding and COVID as a risk. 

Conclusion: Where the old school methods of onsite work have been helpful for companies in the past that’s not the case today.  Today companies hoping to trick their employees to come back to the office full time again will backfire making another talent shortage. Remote workers are investing outside of Silicon Valley, and other major metros and enjoying an unprecedented work life balance.  It is time for companies to embrace remote work and the benefits of remote work and invest on training leaders to lead remotely.

Work Cited

Laker, B. (2022, February 21). From the great resignation to the Great Return: Bringing Back the workforce. Forbes. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2022/02/17/from-the-great-resignation-to-the-great-return-bringing-back-the-workforce/?sh=11bdc91025e5

Licina, S. (2022, January 28). Council post: Why leaders need to reevaluate how they manage their workforce today. Forbes. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/01/27/why-leaders-need-to-reevaluate-how-they-manage-their-workforce-today/?sh=71191ef6118e

Lodewick, C. (2022, April 5). Good riddance to work from home, former Google CEO says. Fortune. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://fortune.com/2022/04/05/google-work-from-home-hybrid-return-to-office-eric-schmidt/

Remote Workers Being Laid Off For Not Typing Enough?

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank

Since the pandemic employers and leaders have had to make the adjustment to having their teams operating remotely.  After over two years of suffering through the pandemic this adjustment is starting to feel par for the course now.  However, since the pandemic and more so recently I have heard several colleagues and friends have told me about being laid off or fired and the reason employers have given them was they had a low keystroke on their work computer?  Which sounded a little weird to me given that many of my colleagues and I have a lot of data both qualitative and quantitative data to review including legal docs day in and day out.  Which means that the typing quantity would of course be lower.  In working remote for over ten years now ( and no that’s not an exaggeration I am proud that I have gotten to work remote for so long prior to and preferably post COVID).

This got stranger because another one of my colleagues who was laid off for this key stroke analysis reason stated that a lot of the communications for work were being done via online systems like email, teams, skype for business and similar. However, this colleague noted that often this person would use these programs from via phone.  Others also noted that with coffee shops, and outdoor seating becoming more inviting as the weather got better, they would log in from their laptops in other locations to help themselves get out and about.  This method of being able to be mobile in remote work for those who are not accustomed to remote work this is helpful for promoting mental health and work and life balance. 

An example I can give personally I have had several trainings that I have led via Zoom from the comfort of my backyard as an effort to get outside a bit as a stress reliever.  Another personal example is walking around the house to make a snack and a cup of tea while using the text to speak function on my phone to answer emails or using my wireless headset to answer questions for team members via teams. The only comments in ten years for doing this has been, “I love how quickly you were able to help me with this”, and “Wow the weather is nice there”. 

So, colleagues contacting me saying that while they had been doing the same thing are getting backlash through their performance analytics based on keystrokes was strange and prompted me to do some additional research.  In my research on this led me down a rabbit hole of how companies are inappropriately using data analytics in remote work settings. There are a few practical research articles from business professionals in leadership talking about how to use data analytics to measure productivity and performance.   

In those articles there are several remote employee surveillance systems like EfficientLab, and even using team communications apps like Slack and Teams.  There is a really great scholarly article found online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167268120301542 and referenced below a number of different data analytics to monitor or spy on employees who are working remotely. 

Based on how these productivity analysis methods are being used there is some additional steps when anglicizing productivity that leaders need to do in a remote work environment.  For starters leaders need to learn what each employee does.  That seems condescending but, it is true.  Leadership needs to practice a concept in six sigma called cross training.  Within a cross training requires all employees including leadership to learn what each employee does and works to learn each other’s duties.  This also allows employers to invest in training all employees as we all navigate the Great Resignation. 

Once a leader knows what each employee does the monitoring used needs to include a qualitative and a quantitative methodology.  Using a more informed understanding of what employees do and a proper method of evaluating productivity.  It will also help strengthen labor pools instead of diminishing them. 

References

West, D. M. (2022, March 9). How employers use technology to Surveil employees. Brookings. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2021/01/05/how-employers-use-technology-to-surveil-employees/

Galanti, T., Guidetti, G., Mazzei, E., Zappalà, S., & Toscano, F. (2021). Work from home during the COVID-19 Outbreak. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 63(7). https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000002236

Miele, F., & Tirabeni, L. (2020). Digital Technologies and Power Dynamics in the organization: A conceptual review of remote working and wearable technologies at work. Sociology Compass, 14(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12795

Jensen, N., Lyons, E., Chebelyon, E., Bras, R. L., & Gomes, C. (2020). Conspicuous monitoring and remote work. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 176, 489–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2020.05.010

REMOTE CONCEPTS BRINGING JOY TO THE WORLD AND DIVERSITY?

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank

Happy Winter Solstices and Seasons’ Greetings!  While I work towards finishing my Doctorate in Business Administration the topic of diversity in the workplace is a popular topic when discussing leadership and organizational design.  Here in my blog, I constantly sing the praises of a remote work lifestyle and how remote work helps me and my research.  However, there are other ways considering COVID and the new variants that remote is bettering both the workplace and the world.  To narrow this paper into a blog post rather than a novel the focus on how remote work is helping business and the world will focus on how remote work is helping increase diversity. 

Yes, diversity in the workplace can become a sore topic.  However, remote work helps bring more people to the table that would otherwise not would not have an ability to even show up to the table. There is a wonderful Forbes article, https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2021/05/12/how-hybrid-remote-work-improves-diversity-and-inclusion/?sh=55c7be44321f which lists the groups who are increasing the diversity in remote workplaces.  The article specifically cites:

  • Women,
  • Caregivers (who statistically are women),
  • Those with physical or mental health disabilities (otherwise referred to as the differently abled community),
  • Those who are economically challenged and those who have suffered housing location issues. 

To quote one of my previous articles, “There are several studies in business administration and other business science aspects on how diversity adds to team/ organizational creativity and advanced problem solving also preventing group think.  However, the Forbes article, https://www.forbes.com/sites/tendayiviki/2016/12/06/why-diverse-teams-are-more-creative/?sh=55bfe61d7262 sums it up well for easy reading”.

Women like me pre and post COVID have benefited from working remotely to balance our family’s and our careers.  However, per the PEWs research from 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/01/women-more-than-men-adjust-their-careers-for-family-life/ most Americans do not approve of a woman working full time while raising a family.  Although often women need to work as they are the only breadwinner while caregiving. 

The fact remote is offering opportunities for those who have it implemented in the workplace and it is increasing diversity is wonderful. However, I am also seeing how remote is changing things outside of the workplace for the better.  Specifically the example I would like to write about is the Firehouse Run here in Santa Clara, https://www.thefirehouserun.com/.  The proceeds of the race go to Santa Clara Unified School District.  Because of COVID the race is virtual this year.  Which allows for anyone to join and participate between 12/5/21 and 12/12/21.  For those like me riddled with long term injuries from running Cross Country and Track throughout my life running is physically hard for me to do anymore so it becomes a walk.  Also, my boys are too big now to push in the running stroller like we used to in this race. So, this year I can do the race from home, in my elliptical which tracks distance.  There are others who also would not traditionally be able to participate who will be able to participate and help raise more money for the school district.  This method also allows out of state or even out of country participation to help build wellness while helping the schools.

As a plug to help the school district if you would like to donate please go to https://raceroster.com/events/2021/50971/2021-the-firehouse-run/fundraising-organization/32654#event-description and donate.

MICRO-MANAGEMENT IS AUTHENTIC BULLYING

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By: Stephanie Diana Wilson- Eubank

Micromanagement is a method of leadership which based on my research of remote work and my own work experience is a hostile and lazy form of leadership.  It is lazy because rather than leading with the understanding your greatest resources a company has is its employees.  Hostile because micromanagement has been shown to not only create room for management bullying but to cause harm to employees emotionally. Remote work becoming more normative since COVID has allowed for more transparency of how authentic leadership as a term being corrupted by controlling leaders who are insecure, and incompetent to shine through. Leading remote teams is more emotional work on the part of leadership but, it is good and necessary work.  Before I detailed the facts of how micromanagement is beyond harmful to employees onsite and remote there are some concepts of remote workers as a focus need to be detailed first.

Such as there is a great article pre COVID found on, https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/ame.2000.4468068 on how to manage remote workplaces.  In said article the author Cascio details how remote workers suffer from three types of isolation.

  • Social,
  • Professional, and
  • Geographical.

Due to these types of isolations managers of remote workers and teams need to work on calling or reaching out to subordinates.  Not just for status on projects or assignments.  Rather to reach out to employees and just say, “hi”. There is an interesting TED Talk, (Durrwachter, 2020); regarding the power of saying, “How are you doing?” and “ hello my friend”.  As leaders we need to bother to talk to our employees!  To ask, how are you?  We all have been traumatized globally by the pandemic.  Many of us are still living in the trauma.   The surprising thing is candid, open, and reasonable conversations spark and genuine leadership and communication arises.  Which is the true intention of authentic leadership.  Not the excuse to be a tyrant and a bully that the term has come to be synonymous with. 

However, there are articles like, (Milne, 2021); detailing how there is now spy ware for managers to investigate employee’s cameras and see them and monitor them.  Showing linkage with these programs with communication software like Slack where the user can watch a team and chastise them if they are not at their computer at the exact moment management is checking on them.   There is ample evidence on how micromanagement hurts the work force and can hurt a company’s work force.  Such as the article from Forbes, (Kurter, 2021); and the article from Psychology Today, (Golden, 2020); on how micromanagement hurts businesses.

Micromanagement is not only detrimental to a company and its employees but, it is a testament to lazy management.  How is it lazy management?  For one as noted in remote workplaces there is additional work that must be put into cultivating a team.  Micromanagement is a leaders’ scream that they as leaders did not hire people that they trust to get the job done.  When employees don’t feel like management trusts them it is unnerving.  Micromanagement just shows a leader who isn’t willing to adapt and get to know their team and how best to support them.  At the end of the day remote or onsite employees are a company’s best resource and need to be treated as such. 

If this article helped shed some light on how micromanagement is not in the best interest of a workforce especially not remote please share.

Work Cited

Cascio, W. F. (2000). Managing a virtual workplace. Academy of Management Perspectives, 14(3), 81–90. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.2000.4468068

https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/ame.2000.4468068

Durrwachter, D. (2020, October 1). Authentic leadership. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/dianna_durrwachter_authentic_leadership.

Milne, S. (2021, September 5). Bosses turn to ‘Tattleware’ to keep tabs on employees working from home. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/05/covid-coronavirus-work-home-office-surveillance.

Kurter, H. L. (2021, July 1). Is micromanaging a form of bullying? here are 3 things you should know. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidilynnekurter/2021/06/29/is-micromanaging-a-form-of-bullying-here-are-3-things-you-should-know/?sh=45a23efa4467.

Golden, G. (2020, October 30). 8 micromanaging boss traits that endanger your business. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/curating-your-life/202010/8-micromanaging-boss-traits-endanger-your-business.

Why Isn’t Remote Work Being Pushed as An Infrastructure Recovery Initiatives Post COVID-19?

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank

Not to get too political, but there is so much political discussion right now on how to recover nationally from the economic devastation of Covid-19.  This debate is being held politically by those who are not businesspeople or people who have advanced academic experience in economics and business.  As shown in the article from Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2021/01/08/the-college-profile-of-the-new-members-in-the-117th-congress/?sh=12f8eb233b10 of the newly elected many have advanced degrees not all are in business, and a majority of the degrees are in law, a few MBA’s, Theology and, geology.  There are also several representatives with certificates or never finished an undergrad or associate degree. 

So, as a businessperson, who has the advanced academic degrees and is working on my dissertation for my Doctorate in Business Administration I would like to weigh in on how my focus topic of remote work could be a helpful method to help our country recover economically from Covid-19.  Since remote work has so many benefits to the economy and the workforce in general this article will just focus on women and caregiving.  I will make a whole series of articles on each benefit to a governmental push for more remote work as infrastructure. 

If more benefits were given to businesses to push for employees to work remotely long term for the foreseeable future this would help business, the economy, diversity, women, issues of child and family care, and additional financial assistance to the work force as a whole.   All the way around remote work helps workers balance their lives and career goals.  One thing I am looking forward to as a remote worker is as my state opens up getting to take breaks and taking a walk to have a cup of coffee and brunch at my favorite mom and pop shops with my friends when they take their breaks.  Which still allows me time to come home finish the bulk of my work and welcome my kids back home from school.  Once I put my boys to bed, I can work on my homework and get to bed and start the day again. 

I have had this ability to balance my work, school and, family luckily for the past seven years.  Oh, and trust me I understand that I have been fortunate to have the ability to work remote and continue to work remote.  Honestly, I don’t know how I would have been able to provide and care for my boys regardless of their disabilities if I was not lucky enough to have the opportunity to work remotely.  

However, I do understand based on experience over the past seven years and now as the country is opening back up (even though there is concern of another wave of COVID and its variants) management pushes back against remote work.  (This is mostly because remote work causes managers to have to develop empathy and lead authentically not using the term as an excuse to emotionally abuse employees by being a jerk.  See my previous article on that topic.) Yet, if government makes a push to help both large and small companies push for remote work where it can be done it may be the push needed to really recover.  

The statistics are compelling on how remote can help our economy.  Especially for women.  First off in the US the concept of a full-time mom is not normative anymore due to economical constraints.  Speaking from example of being both the child growing up in a dule income home and being the mother of a dual income home, it is few and far between that families can afford to be a one income household. Even though my life, family, and my husband’s work are here in Silicon Valley California.  Which also happens to be one of the most expensive places in the country to live.  It also doesn’t help that traffic is so bad here as well but, that’s a different article to write.  There is little ability to have a single income family to have the bandwidth to be a full-time mom not just here but nationally.  The Population Reference Bureau as seen in the article, https://www.prb.org/resources/traditional-families-account-for-only-7-percent-of-u-s-households/ found in 2003 only 7% of American’s we able to live in a one income household with children. Where dual income with children at the time was 16% of the US and dual income without children was at 13%.  The other 64% were single parents and single people.  And according to The Hill article https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/543941-americas-single-parent-families 30% of American Families are single parents usually moms with a child under 18.  Of that 30% of single parent families 75% are single moms.  The article goes on to break down the socio-economical statistics of single moms but, it points out the face 51% of the single parents in the US are fellow minorities.  Specifically, Hispanic, and African American families are the most effected.  Single moms tend to also make less and have less work opportunities regardless of education, experience, and skills (again a soap box for a different day).  What is heart breaking single moms are 34% more likely to be impoverished.  

The article also mentions that 57% of American’s scapegoat single parents, single moms especially and comment on them working too much and not being enough for their kids or not working hard enough.  (again another soap box as I have been a single mom, a working mom, and a student mom all at the same time and remote helped me do it all and teach my boys hard work ethic and how it pays off.  In an area that to be middle class for a family of three the income required is $150k for a single income so we were poor for our area.  I also like to think it taught my boys that I love them so much that I work tirelessly to make sure they have every advantage I can possibly provide.)

Women are also statistically the main demographic as a caregiver for family members who are disabled or elderly.  Which largely is unpaid!  According to the statistics on the Family Caregiver Alliance https://www.caregiver.org/resource/caregiver-statistics-demographics/ their data was collected by AARP and found 34.2 Million Americans provide unpaid care as of 2015,  16.6% are adults caring for disabled children and 34.2 Million of these caregivers are caring for someone 50+ years of age again unpaid.  I have had several friends who while caring for family members who were ill or disabled would not have been able to care for them on their own if they didn’t work from home.  Of those friends fortunately they worked from home, so their family members did not die alone.  These friends were both men and women with varying ethnicities and socio-economical backgrounds.  Though per the same article AARP found that 75% of unpaid caregivers are women.

There is also the remote team pitfall of many companies pre- Covid-19 would create what are called “dream teams” which are teams made up of experts in their field.  This is done without regard for team design of personalities or on how well each person works together in a cohesive team.  

This design flaw can be used to the advantage of women in the economy.  Per the PEWs research https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/20/u-s-women-near-milestone-in-the-college-educated-labor-force/ women make up a little over 50% of the college educated work force and 46% of the over all workforce is women with higher education.  Also, the PEWs research showed that of all the undergraduate degrees earned in the US 57% were awarded to women.  This means the push for advantages of remote work would bring highly educated women opportunities to balance the caregiving role that societally tends to be thrust onto women more than men.

The benefits of the government viewing remote work as an infrastructure cause will help the economy and work force from the bottom up.   With the focus just on the women of the US work force an increase of remote work would allow for more women to keep themselves and their children out of poverty just from the view point of caregiving and childcare restrictions physically and financially on women and families. It would also create more opportunities for educated women to shine in the workplace.  

Remote work as infrastructure cannot be understated.  Yes, working and caring for others is HARD work!  However, one thing Covid-19 taught America is we are not afraid of a little hard work and when given the opportunity to work remote life and work continued. 

Watch Your Tone: Considering the audience when virtually communicating with remote employees

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank

Tone in emails and other written platforms such as Skype, Slack, or Teams can be a tricky thing.  Where onsite employees may be able to understand or be able to ask in the background with management to see if an aggressive tone was intentional or not.  Remote teams have a harder time identifying if harsh tones in writing if it may be intentional or not from management.

There are concepts for remote workers called social isolation and professional isolation.  To break it down:

  • Social Isolation: we often forget business is a social activity and social science.  And socializing at work is a big part of working in business.  Believe it or not water cooler talks and social interaction with coworkers is a draw to onsite work and can be good for mental health.  Also, this sort of social 
  • Professional isolation: is where the employee doesn’t get a lot of collaboration time with management or other interactions with management.

There are also concepts that remote workers have as stress causing aspects of working remote.  Such as statistically speaking remote people are often the first people to be laid off during mass layoffs.  This is statistically common because remote people don’t get to interact with management or coworkers due to social and professional isolation.   This isolation also may lead to missed opportunities for remote workers.

Now, now these concepts have been known to be issues for remote teams.  However, since COVID-19 with everyone who can work remote.  With Remote work becoming mainstream this means management must adapt to these pitfalls because it now affects them too.  There is also the fact that with COVID-19 new pitfalls arise.  Such as the dreaded kids interruption if they are not back to in person schooling, the state being on fire and evacuations being needed (like here in California), cats jumping on the desk, dogs barking, or my personal annoyance is cars with too much base shaking the whole neighborhood. 

Although there are added benefits for all when working from home that need to be accounted for and embraced. Such as taking breaks when one is supposed to and using them to go outside or other mental health/ self-care need.  There is also flexibility to manage a work/ life balance.   However, none of this positive move for the economy to healthy business practices until better communication practices are realized and common place.

One big step many managers need to work on to realize the best remote environments and most productive ones is the skills within electronic communication.  

Here are a few tips for management and communicating with teams effectively in this new remote environment:

  • First ask each team member what their preferred method of communication is.  I know it seems easy enough, but some people may like the constant teams or skype typed quick notes and others might get an anxiety attack from that.  And then there are those who rather just have a quick phone call. 
  • Make both one on one time with team for status and business but also just to ask, “how are you doing”.  Showing a little empathy goes a long way towards building strong trust and employee retention.  It also helps prevent professional isolation making employees feel more like people and less like numbers. 
  • Take time to just have a nice virtual lunch together with your whole team and staff.  Bonding regularly with a team helps everyone not only keep work focus but, reminds us all that we are people.
  • Managers need to encourage their team to communicate with each other not just about work but just to take 10 minutes to talk about the weather.  Business being a social science needs to be emphasized socially and understood some people like remote for the lack of social interaction. 
  • Managers when emailing need to watch for tone in emails so that no one feels provoked.  Firmness can still be conveyed but, there are tricks for making the tone calmer:
    • Use We instead of me or I.  This unifies the team and company as one and comes off less combative.
    • Note in the written communication that all work around options were considered but, don’t note that they can escalate the issue. That comes off as a challenge. 
    • Write clinically.  Not putting too much emotion into the writing.  It shows neutrality so there is no favoritism or anger to be derived from an email.  
    • While writing do open with a friendly salutation and at thank everyone for their help with the info.  Again, show a united front.
    • Before getting to the heart of the issue write something positive. 
    • Clearly define changes showing rather than pointing fingers we are moving forward with lessons learned.  Be sure to also state what the sought results are.  Goals need to be clear. 
    • Close these emails by asking if you can help or clarify or answer any questions.  Make sure that you make sure to note you are available and welcome questions.  Also, that everyone has your contact info. 
  • Never send emails when angry!  That’s how you end up in HR because you have made a hostile work environment. 
  • Draft your emails in word.  It helps make sure that everything is spelled and grammatically correct showing your professionalism.  It also helps if writing when angry to re-read your work and edit, and edit, and edit till the result works.  Also, this stops the accidental email that wasn’t polished yet. 

These tips should help learn how to communicate with remote teams and help with comfort of though remote can make us far away we are still on the same team.  

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