Tag: #communication

Companies Are Losing Out on An Untapped Resource of Business by Not Promoting Remote Work:  The Resource Being Differently Abled Employee Inclusivity.

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By Stephanie Diana Eubank

So, I comment a lot on my research blog and on my personal social media about the fact that I am finishing my dissertation towards completing my doctorate degree in Business Administration.  I also note how I have taught Operations Compliance in the financial sector and Operations Management in the California State University System to help share my earned skills with future leadership.  I don’t discuss much while I practice more authentic leadership because I am a disabled student, instructor, and Business Subject Matter Expert. 

I am both dyslexic and have ADHD.  The Yale Center for Dyslexia, Shaywitz & Shaywitz (2020); notes that 20% of the American population has dyslexia.  Further, Shaywitz & Shaywitz (2020); notes that dyslexia is an uncurable disability that can cause issues with reading, spelling, and learning additional languages.  However, Shaywitz & Shaywitz (2020); goes on to note that those with dyslexia are slower readers but are intelligent, mentally fast, and creative problem solvers.   (You can find more information on Dyslexia from the text, https://amzn.to/3KNsKrC, which is the book cited for this information Shaywitz & Shaywitz (2020).) 

The CDC, on their link https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html defines ADHD as one of the most common neurodevelopment disabilities/ different abilities.  However, when those who support and care for those with ADHD and those with different abilities learn how to manage ADHD symptoms, people learn how to capitalize on it.  Such as, I use my hyper-focus on my educational goals and writing.  However, it can make me seem scattered to others even though I can get multiple things done at once and need sound to balance myself.  I even used musical playlists to memorize cross-country running trails in High School and College. It helped me focus and remember landmarks so I didn’t get lost.  I even still, to this day, have songs I hum when I run on a track or on my home treadmill to keep and set my running pace.  Also, what I thought was insomnia and waking up super early in my high school and undergrad program was, in fact, ADHD-induced insomnia.

This fact about my life and my different abilities is part of what inspires my research in leadership because studies have found that remote work helps increase diversity.  However, when we think of diversity, we often consider race, gender, family status, and sexual orientation.  Disabilities or more Different Abilities are often not considered in business regarding developing more inclusive workplaces.

Remote work allows for a more inclusive workplace and creates more diversity.  I speak from my experience of working remotely for over ten years. Work from home (WFH) workplaces gives me room to be more productive and use the tools to focus I need without bothering others.  It also gives me room to mask my different abilities to not be outed. (And yes, I understand I am outing myself by disclosing my disabilities.  However, this is an important conversation that needs to be had, and those of us in the community need to bring awareness to the ongoing issues).  In both the academic sector as a student and in the business arena, when I disclose my different abilities, I am told it is a disability, and I often receive negative or retaliatory treatment. 

My personal experience is supported by the research found in Ameri & Kurtzberg (2022) and Howard (2022); about the difficulty the differently abled community finds in working onsite and obtaining work. Further, the research of Farrer (2022), Kanter (2022), and Willingham (2021); supports my findings that remote work tends to make it easier for differently-abled community members to find and retain work. 

So, as a business Subject Matter Expert (SME), I can’t resist pointing out the brass tax.  Otherwise known as why business leaders should care about the differently-abled community.  The biggest reason, besides discrimination, is illegal since the community is a protected class. That reason is that research shows that diversity in a workplace develops a staff of employees that are more creative and have more out-of-the-box methods for solving problems.  With our economy hitched on the development of creative ideas, tangible and intangible goods, out-of-the-box thinking, and creative problem solving are just what every company wants to give them a competitive advantage.  Thus, promoting remote work helps attract more dynamic workers, including those in the differently-abled community. 

Conclusion: Companies and managers need to learn to embrace remote work.  Remote work is a good concept for the goose and the gander.  It allows differently-abled workers to have a supportive workplace without really having to create a need to be othered in the workplace. In return, companies get creative problem solvers who help increase out-of-the-box thinking in the workplace.  I keep quoting one of my mentors when she constantly repeats, “Learn to manage the work and not the people.”  The ability of leadership to do this is more easily found in a remote work environment.  All while contributing to more diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

If you are interested in reading up more on this topic, here are some books you may be interested in.

Work Cited

Ameri, M., & Kurtzberg , T. R. (2022, February 15). Leveling the playing field through remote work. MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved September 3, 2022, from https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/leveling-the-playing-field-through-remote-work/

Baines, A. M. D. (2014). (Un)learning disability: Recognizing and changing restrictive views of student ability. Teachers College Press, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Chin, J. L., & Trimble, J. E. (2015). Diversity and leadership. Sage.

Farrer, L. (2022, April 14). Accommodating disabilities in remote and hybrid work. Forbes. Retrieved September 3, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurelfarrer/2022/03/30/accommodating-disabilities-in-remote–hybrid-work/?sh=54434a1c2c17

Howard, J. (2022, March 22). The benefits of remote work for people with disabilities. InclusionHub Digital Inclusion Resources. Retrieved September 3, 2022, from https://www.inclusionhub.com/articles/benefits-of-remote-work

Kanter, A. S. (2022, March 10). Our new remote workplace culture creates opportunities for disabled employees. Bill of Health. Retrieved September 3, 2022, from https://blog.petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2022/03/10/remote-work-disability-ada/

KEMP, J. O. H. N. D. (2022). Disability-friendly workplace. JOHN WILEY & SONS.

Patel, A. B. (2020). Humanity at work: Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing in an increasingly distributed workforce. New Degree Press.

Reisman, F. K., & Severino, L. (2021). Using creativity to address dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia: Assessments and techniques. Routledge.

Shaywitz, S. E., & Shaywitz, J. (2020). Overcoming dyslexia: A major update and revision of the Essential Program for reading problems at any level, incorporating the latest breakthroughs in science, educational methods, technology, and legal accommodations (2nd ed., Ser. pp.143-24.). Alfred A. Knopf.

https://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/

Willingham, A. J. (2021, August 10). Remote work made life easier for many people with disabilities. they want the option to stay. CNN. Retrieved September 3, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/10/health/remote-work-disabilities-pandemic-wellness-trnd/index.html

The Real Enemy of Remote Work… Middle Management

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By Stephanie Diana Eubank

Several articles on companies speaking out about wanting to force workers to come back to the office regardless of current COVID and Monkey Pox surges. In one most recent article from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Tsipursky (2022); commented on not wanting to allow for remote work anymore.  The arguments used are the same that have been made since the 1980s, which are still moot as COVID taught us that remote workers are just as productive at home as in the office. While some organizations have leadership that is set in their ways, there is a real enemy of remote work, and it isn’t the corporations as one would think. 

The real enemy of remote work is middle management.  And there are five reasons why middle management is so against remote workers.

  • Remote work means middle managers must do additional work to help the team bond.

In remote workplaces, team bonding can be strained by geographical location and the strain of COVID.  The bonding in a team, be it remote or in-person, requires managers to facilitate and allow for some conversation and socializing among employees.  Business, after all, is a social science. However, in a remote workplace, managers at all levels need to help facilitate collaboration and social interactions with team members.

The remote workplace makes that a harder job for managers because, in onsite workplaces, people bump into each other or participate in office functions which lower the work managers must do directly.  Low socialization among remote workers can hinder morale and employee loyalty.  This is detailed in the Harvard Business article; Heskett (2021) notes all the ways remote work changes the work style for middle managers. Thus, contributing to employees feeling the need to look for greener pastures in this Great Resignation world that the business arena is in.

  • Middle managers must use qualitative and quantitative analysis to properly measure productivity in remote work.

With onsite workplaces, employers and middle managers can use physical observations with whatever method they use to measure Key Performance Indicators, otherwise known as KPIs.  However, in a remote workplace, the physical observation is gone, and middle managers.  As detailed in Jordan (2022), remote leaders rely on communications tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack.  As seen in the book Teams for Dummies, Rosemarie (2021); (and found on this link https://amzn.to/3KoSSZZ), the system was not designed to monitor productivity.  It was designed to aid in remote communications.  As a person who has used Teams in the workplace, the system has flaws, such as unless the app is open on one’s computer and the mouse constantly moves over it, then it only reads someone as available if they are using teams actively.  No one is using Teams or any communication system that much.  It would mean the person being available isn’t using any other program on the computer.  Also, several users complain that when using the app on their phone, even showing availability on the app, the computer version reads away. Even when someone is using both apps simultaneously at one’s desk. 

This makes it so employees either are marked against them for lack of attendance or get anti-boss ware devices like these:

Management being unaware or choosing not to recognize how these systems are not designed to monitor productivity is hurting morale and encouraging what is called “Slow Quitting,” contributing to the Great Resignation.  To keep employee retention up, middle management managers must find quantitative and qualitative methods to display remote employees’ work.  This means managers must look at the quality of work and the macro and micro view of managing productivity in a remote workplace.  There are methods for that, but there is math involved.  I recommend reading Pullan (2022), which can be found on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3pOgPQL .

  • Remote work makes it so that middle managers cannot just be managers anymore they must be producing.

In the past, within remote workplaces, middle management has been able to just work on the operational duties of management.  As detailed in Kelly (2021), managers do not enjoy remote workplaces because now they are forced to be producing managers instead of just focusing on leadership.  Requiring all managers to lead by example and creating a need to change leadership tactics known as X Theory Leadership style.  X Theory Leadership often takes the form of an aggressive, results-driven method using fear in what is called Y theory leadership.  Y Theory Leadership is leading authentically as oneself with humility and empathy.  Being in the trenches and working shoulder to shoulder digitally with one’s team based on research data often also creates the dynamic of shared leadership.  And for many X theory leaders, that’s the only arrow in their quiver as they are often taught to lead by promotion for being, say, the best sales rep in the region, which is not a leadership qualification.  Knowing how to manage the work and understand people is.  This is a concept learned in business coursework.  Which is a big reason why business schools and business instructors like me exist.

  • Remote work makes middle managers obsolete.

Shared Leadership, as defined in Han & Hazard (2022), is where teams develop autonomy and thus create a leadership dynamic within the group that all members contribute.  This often happens in remote teams and within remote workplaces. 

Shared leadership is often mixed up with a term called group thinks.  Groupthink is where no original ideas happen because the group starts to develop the same opinion on the same topics.  Basically, the embodiment of the commercial from the 90s with beloved comedian Robin Williams as the Genie stating, “Great minds think alike.  Wrong! Great minds think for themselves”.  Everyone thinks alike within the group and cannot think for themselves. Often this phenomenon is created when leaders lead with fear or hire only toxic positivity or Yes people to their teams.

Shared Leadership makes it so that each person is responsible for their contribution. The team joins forces without a designated leader, takes responsibility, and reaches out to one another for assistance. In a nutshell, they collaborate fully and don’t have an assigned leader. This is bad news for middle management cause then they aren’t necessarily needed.  If everyone is sharing leadership, a manager producing or not is required.

  • Remote workers endanger their higher income, which is unneeded.

Lastly, the biggest reason middle management doesn’t push for more remote work comes from the brass tax.  Money. See, if shared leadership develops in remote work and corporations move away from the upward management ladder model, then there is no reason to pay managers more than the pay of those doing the work.  According to the Washington Post article by McGregor (2021), in the United States, firms pay between 5%-20% more to managers than employees to middle management.  Senior management has a bigger gap of 7.9 times what a middle manager makes.  Leaders could use that money to further compensate teams if there were no middle managers or need for them.  Which would drastically lower their potential income.  

Conclusion: Remote work has already shaken up the world as we know it.  However, remote work is not done, changing how we do everything.  It will change how we design leadership dynamics and planning in the business arena and how we bond with each other.  So, many leaders scream to the mountains that they want everything to return to normal.  But business is meant to evolve and change, just like any concept in nature.  Business as a function will shift.  How many middle managers will be left in the dust for want of rising to the occasion?

Work Cited

Han, S. J., & Hazard, N. (2022). Shared leadership in virtual teams at work: Practical strategies and research suggestions for human resource development. Human Resource Development Review, 153448432210933. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843221093376

Website https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/15344843221093376

Heskett, J. (2021, March 1). What does remote work mean for middle managers? HBS Working Knowledge. Retrieved August 27, 2022, from https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/what-does-remote-work-mean-for-middle-managers

Jordan, R. (2022, April 20). Mastering digital leadership in the remote work environment. Smarter Business Review. Retrieved August 27, 2022, from https://www.ibm.com/blogs/services/2022/03/08/mastering-digital-leadership-in-the-remote-work-environment/

Kelly, J. (2021, March 19). How CEOS and workers feel about working remotely or returning to the Office. Forbes. Retrieved August 27, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/03/19/how-ceos-and-workers-feel-about-working-remotely-or-returning-to-the-office/?sh=51bbd9a29d99

McGregor, J. (2021, December 5). The income gap between bosses and workers is getting even bigger. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 27, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2015/03/13/the-income-gap-between-bosses-and-workers-is-getting-even-bigger-worldwide/

Pullan, P. (2022). Virtual leadership practical strategies for success with remote or hybrid work and teams. Kogan Page.

https://amzn.to/3pOgPQL

Rosemarie, W. (2021). Microsoft Teams for dummies. John Wiley Sons Inc.

https://amzn.to/3KoSSZZ

Tsipursky, G. (2022, August 23). Commentary: Here’s what JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon got wrong–and Meta got right–about remote work. Fortune. Retrieved August 27, 2022, from https://fortune.com/2022/08/23/what-jp-morgan-ceo-jamie-dimon-got-wronga-meta-remote-work-diversity-careers-gleb-tsipursky/

Four Concepts in Mentorship That Are Still Important, Especially in a Post-COVID World

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By Stephanie Diana Eubank

I have worked in the financial industry for over twelve years now.  While working in the financial industry, I have been blessed to have three mentors throughout my career. Two of them are women, and one identified as a man and happened to be a member of the LBGTQ community.  The diversity of my mentors has helped me as a leader and a college-level business instructor and given me a more global perspective.  I have truly been blessed to have such wonderful mentors.  Although one of my mentors Dean Marks, passed away this week after a long hard battle with cancer.  He is missed by not just me but all those in our field which he inspired. 

With COVID dividing leaders and aspiring leaders of all walks of life, there are four concepts to consider in mentorship that are often swept under the rug.  These four concepts are true for onsite and remote workplaces.  However, with remote work becoming more normative, the focus needs to be on how mentorship can be addressed in a remote work environment. 

The concept in Mentorship #1 is Ambiguousness of what mentorship is.

Mentors play a vital role in business employee development and leadership training.  Since COVID and the lockdowns connecting with mentors and networking has become a more vital skill than ever.  Not just for mentees but for those who are mentoring.   This fact has never been truer than now as we try to adjust to the new normal that is COVID.  In the book, Rolfe (2021), which can be found on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3PIp63H talks about the fact that mentoring often is an ambiguous term and can be confusing for both mentors and mentees.  In this book, Rolfe (2021); also takes a practical approach versus a theoretical approach. The book Rolfe (2021) also details the importance of communication, boundaries, and how to structure mentorship so proper implementation can be used.

The concept in Mentorship #2 is Encouraging Diversity in Leadership.

As a woman, there can be stigmas about being mentored regardless of the gender of one’s mentor.  As detailed in the book, Sandberg (2013); can be found at https://amzn.to/3IUyL4Z.  Many are familiar with the book “Lean In” by Sandberg (2013); the research noted within both practical and observational findings by Sandberg and data researched to support the findings.  The book Sandberg (2013); touches on the fact that there are few women of any race or creed in places of leadership.  With COVID hurting women’s careers as they fight to get into and stay in places of leadership in a growing remote workplace, mentorship has never been more important towards growing diversity in leadership and business. Although may criticize Sandberg for her privileged vantage point that not all women can enjoy.  However, she raises interesting points on how women being in places of leadership paves the way for positive change and creative problem-solving through diversity.  With COVID rates surging and women either having to leave the workforce or work remotely while balancing childcare and child education while the pandemic rage on mentorship is important and can make it difficult for mentors and mentees to ask for the help needed to progress.

The concept in Mentorship #3 Asking for Help Is a Strength.

Asking for help is a soft skill that is often ignored in leadership.   Mentors are a great resource in learning how to effectively ask for help and for mentees to learn what resources they truly have. Moreover, in a remote workplace, often leaders see asking for help as a weakness.  Which is a toxic leadership trait for any leader. Teams asking for help and leaders asking for help keep turn times under control and support workers regardless of onsite or remote workplaces. An interesting book that tackles this topic of asking for and receiving help in a leadership role is Brand (2019), which is found at https://amzn.to/3PmPT60.  It seems unconventional to read mentoring advice from Russel Brand, but his book highlights the concept of toxic leadership, where often, employees are not regarded as an organization’s strongest asset.  Also, in the book Brand (2019); it is noted that asking for help even before COVID has always been regarded as a weakness when the need for help is poor planning on leadership, and employees asking for help really allows leaders to know when the house is on fire in time to save it.

The concept in Mentorship #4 To Thy Own Self Be True.

Another concept discussed in the book Maxwell (2021), found at https://amzn.to/3v5r06x is the concept of authentic leadership and knowing oneself. Everyone has blind spots regarding our own personal flaws.  As leaders, we need to be introspective, not just with how we lead but how we pick mentees.  The book Maxwell (2021) discusses how knowing we and what works to lead authentically is important as leaders.  However, some concepts of knowing oneself include knowing what leadership styles don’t work in the remote world. 

Conclusion: I have been blessed to have many mentors who are diverse leaders in their rights. Remote work has made mentorship even more important to furthering the training of future leaders. In researching mentor books, four concepts emerged in mentoring.  The four concepts are as follows:

  1. The rules of mentoring are ambiguous and, as detailed in Rolfe (2021), note how establishing boundaries and give some more structure to mentorship. The book, Rolfe (2021) also notes the importance of communication which has never been more important than in a remote workplace.
  2. Mentorship needs to encourage diversity.  As detailed in the book, Sandberg (2013); shows how women in leadership help develop a more inclusive leadership plan and creative problem-solving.  As many of us have learned, COVID women have had to leave the workplace or convert to remote as a permanent need to address child or family care.  It doesn’t matter if you are a male or female leader. If you find someone who wants you to mentor them, especially women and minorities, pay it forward as your mentors did. High tides raise all boat mentorship making a leader more versatile. It doesn’t phase you out.
  3. It is almost always a cliché comment that communication is key to… well, everything.  Asking for help is communicating!  As detailed in Brand (2019), asking for help, regardless of being a leader or a would-be leader, is not a weakness.  It is a sign of understanding limitations and can save an organization.  We all need help from time to time, and teams needing help are a sign that there needs to be a pivot in implementing the process.  Teams and employees are a company’s most valuable resources, and leaders must treat them as such.
  4. Lastly, authentic leadership and understanding our strengths and flaws as people and leaders. The book Maxwell (2021), the adage to know thy self is true.  Failures teach us more than our successes; those are some of the things that should be shared so that mentees learn from their mistakes.  Another concept is some of these flaws can also be considered toxic in a remote work environment as some leadership methods just don’t translate pleasantly in remote workplaces.

These four concepts are important to remember when mentoring remotely because having the bravery to reach out and ask for help and mentoring is half the battle of working in a remote workplace.  Reaching out to mentors with remote employees’ professional isolation is healthy for all involved.  I don’t know where I would be today without my mentors, and the fact that one of them has passed is a great loss to the community.  I only hope I positively impact my mentees as he has on me.

If you enjoyed this article, remember that sharing is caring.  Also, if you have a mentor you want to discuss, leave a comment. 

Work Cited

Brand, R. (2019). Mentors: How to help and be helped. Henry Holt.

https://amzn.to/3PmPT60

Maxwell, J. C. (2021). The self-aware leader: Play to your strengths, unleash your team: Play to your strengths, unleash your team. HarperCollins Leadership.

https://amzn.to/3v5r06x

Rolfe, A. (2021). Mentoring: Mindset, skills and tools. Mentoring Works.

https://amzn.to/3PIp63H

Sandberg, S. (2013). Lean in: Women, work, and the will to lead. Deckle Edge.

https://amzn.to/3IUyL4Z

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

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

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.

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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