Simy P.

The recent pandemic has forced many organizations to re-evaluate business models and operating procedures with a focus on remote and hybrid work. Over the last year and a half, I have had the opportunity to help many global customers make the transition from physical workspaces to remote work. A question I often get asked is: “How do we ensure that our employees stay engaged and motivated as they continue to work remotely?” followed by “How can technology increase employee engagement?”. These questions are great indicators of the realization that technology drives cultural change.

I feel extremely fortunate to work for a company that has always encouraged flexible work. However, I would have to say that although I have experienced hybrid work for a decade, the pandemic has taken it to a whole new level. I sometimes find myself missing social interactions with colleagues in the workplace; the corridor conversations, team lunches, pantry breaks, coffee chats and networking. Despite making the shift from hybrid work to 100% remote work in recent times, there continues to be a strong sense of belonging and connectedness to the company.

This has made me reflect on the factors that have contributed to that. Active leadership is no doubt one of the many factors that has played a significant role. The others would include feeling connected to the mission statement, finding purpose in work, engaging in regular practices that bring the team together and effectively using technology to ensure that everyone stays connected and feels included. I would like to focus on active leadership in this article.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to speak with and observe the leadership styles of great leaders at Microsoft, as well as from the organizations I have worked with in my current role. Many leaders recognize that remote work limits the possibilities to build relationships with their team and have found new ways to demonstrate active leadership. I would like to share some of the ways that have proven to be effective as leaders continue to manage hybrid teams.

1. Office Hours Allocate a regular time slot to address your team’s questions, concerns, and topics of interest. This initiative helps to implement a remote open-door policy and creates a culture that supports workplace transparency. As employees’ consistently see how visible and present their leaders are, it significantly helps them stay connected to the team’s mission and purpose and increases their sense of belonging.

2. Model the Way Actions speak louder than words. It is critical to lead by example and to create an environment that your team would be compelled to follow. Examples of actions you could take include reserving time slots in your calendar for breaks or personal tasks, following through on the commitments you make and regularly asking your team for feedback to understand what is or is not working well.

Being the change you seek is particularly important as hybrid work continues to be the norm and agility is key. Leaders who are positive about changes will help the organization overcome the natural resistance that change often meets.

3. Provide Clarity & Communication Change is happening at an exponential rate. Active leadership involves open and honest communication. People are more compelled to change when they know the “WHY”. Having a clear why statement differentiates an average leader from a bold and passionate leader who is able to inspire action and drive transformation. The “WHAT” and “HOW” will naturally evolve.

"Great leaders must have two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate that vision clearly" - Simon Sinek 4. Use Technology as an Enabler Some of the best transformations happen when we are clear about what the current state is, and what the ideal state should be. Technology bridges the gap. It is critical for employees to have the tools and resources they need to be productive, efficient, and collaborative as they navigate the complexities of hybrid work. Some of the questions we need to continue asking are:

How can we better leverage the knowledge in our organization? Which processes and tasks do employees find the most time consuming? How can we improve our employee experience? How can we create a culture that encourages collaboration? What does innovation look like? What business problems do we need to solve? What does success look like and how can we measure it? How can we build a diverse and inclusive workforce? 5. Promote Employee Wellbeing It is critical for leaders to gain visibility into how work is evolving and how changes are affecting the people whose creativity and innovation are needed to propel their business into the future. Powered by Workplace Analytics, new insights gained from Microsoft Teams allow leaders to ask questions like:

Are employees at risk of burnout? Are people maintaining strong internal connections? Does your team have time to focus? We will be better equipped to set data-driven goals when we have a clear understanding of the current state. Some wellbeing initiatives to consider include the following:

Virtual yoga/fitness/meditation sessions Volunteer programs Employee wellbeing days Virtual fitness challenge Walking meetings Employee recognition programs 6. Make Work Fun As the lines between work and personal lives are blurring, it is important to think about how to make work fun and make employees want to show up to work every day. Here are some ways to make work more fun and increase productivity and engagement as a result:

Include icebreakers in your team meetings Leverage the Icebreaker bot in Microsoft Teams to randomly match employees with one another and help expand their network in the organization Create a social channel that encourages team members to share fun stuff Celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries Organize virtual contests and celebrations Organize virtual offsites and build an experience "People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing." - Dale Carnegie 7. Incorporate Self-Care As leaders, it is important to prioritize the daily routines that fill your cup, whether this is about meditating, exercising, or reading your favorite book. If you want to have enough to give to others, you need to take care of yourself first. The study of Atomic Habits (by James Clear) and A Slight Edge (by Jeff Olson) has influenced my perspective on this topic over the years. In regard to my personal experiments, I can say for sure that the small things we do every single day bring us closer to becoming the best version of ourselves. I have also observed that every engaging leader I have come across has a daily routine.

What does your daily self-care routine look like?

8. Embrace Vulnerability While leaders continue to juggle the growing demands of work and personal life - managing the business, leading virtual teams and balancing personal commitments, it is crucial to let go of the pressure to show up as "strong" or "perfect" always. Employees appreciate it when leaders lean into authenticity and have the courage to express vulnerability. I believe that it also helps to forge more genuine connections. When leaders show up this way, it encourages a culture of openness and breeds courage to open up to vulnerability.

"What we know matters but who we are matters more." - Brene Brown Final Words I would like to end by expressing my gratitude to the great leaders who have inspired me to write this article.

If I had to summarize the winning ingredients of a successful leader who is able to propel a team forward as we continue to navigate through these uncertain times, it would be active leadership, agility, adaptability, authenticity and transparency.

Thank you for reading till the end!

Here are some reference links that you may find useful:

Seven Keys to Empower People for the New World of Work The New Future of Work Publication by Microsoft Microsoft Research on the Importance of Breaks Keeping Teams Connected as we Navigate Hybrid Work Microsoft Workplace Insights Expert Insights on Increasing Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Icebreaker Bot for Microsoft Teams

Simy P.

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Singapur 1K followers 500+ connections

See your mutual connections View mutual connections with Simy Anmelden Willkommen zurück E-Mail oder Telefon Passwort anzeigen Haben Sie Ihr Passwort vergessen? Anmelden oder Neu bei LinkedIn? Jetzt anmelden oder Neu bei LinkedIn? Jetzt anmelden

Erleben Sie

Microsoft

Volunteer Experience

Mentor

Global Mentorship Initiative

View Simy’s full profile

Other similar profiles

Shyam Senthilvel

Chiang Wee Ee

Harvind Kaur Sidhu

Dany Ukken

Matt Hendra

Laura O'Connor

Khuong (Kay) Nguyen

Meng Ye Chan

Simon Chua

Henry Chow

Alvis Wong

Adelaine Chew

K S Srikanth

Tashia Perera

Sheryl Phua

Felicia Lin

Janice Low

Yanshern Lim

Nicholas Hirayama

Yun Ting Tan

Gemeinsame Artikel erkunden

Others named Simy P.

simy p

Simy P J

Add new skills with these courses

Design a Cloud Migration Strategy

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Exam Tips

Azure: Understanding the Big Picture (2022)

Singapur

1K followers 500+ connections

View mutual connections with Simy

Willkommen zurück

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