Nimble & Transparent Workplace Amidst Chaos

Good luck is often the result of hard work.

In any snapshot in modern history, there are folks who are doing well, and those who are not. Sometimes more are doing better while other times fewer are doing well.

Whether it was the pandemic or politically tumultuous times, there is no shortage of people saying, “It will be fine.” Yes, it might be. For most folks. But not for everyone. Depending on the severity of the situation it might be closer to tolerable than fine.

This is why using “chaos” in the title is intentional. All things are not chaotic, but in some people’s lives presently, I would imagine all they can see is chaos.

This is where we, as leaders, get to decide how we’re going to proceed. Are we going to get into the chaotic swirl and relinquish any influence we might have? Are we going to do the best with what we’ve got and recognize it won’t feel like enough, and will be tiring?

I choose the second option. This means moving forward with doing right by our teams and colleagues to bring just a bit of order and predictability to a time and space where WTF is the leading hashtag.

Current State

By calling something “work” we seem to also imply permission to water down any sense of how humans actually function. Collectively we can’t go on like this:

• Constant Interruptions: Employees are interrupted up to every two minutes during the workday. This isn't just a minor annoyance; it’s a significant drain, as the average employee receives 117 emails and 153 Teams messages per workday. Beyond core working hours, most workers send or receive over 50 chat messages.

  
  

• Cognitive Overload: The constant task-switching required due to dozens, even hundreds, of interruptions per day leads to a high and negative cognitive load, impacting employees' well-being and ability to get work done. The infamous “multitasking” isn’t a key to productivity. It reduces effectiveness on every task. 

  
  

• Blurring Boundaries: Meetings after 8 pm are up 16% year-over-year. Nearly 20% of Microsoft 365 users check work email before midday on weekends, and over 5% on Sunday evenings. The initial promise of flexibility has often resulted in employees working through their personal time and then doing extra work. Employees also feel a need to signal presence and availability, to demonstrate commitment and prevent being let go, should a reduction in force occur. This around-the-clock phenomenon is exacerbated by smartphones, blending work and personal communication and leading to overwhelming feelings.

  
  

• Ad Hoc Meetings: A staggering 57% of meetings are "ad hoc," meaning workers are expected to drop tasks and shift mental gears without prior preparation or agendas. This further contributes to the feeling of navigating chaos.

This continuous activity and constant accessibility lead to a significant impact on workers, resulting in burnout and hindering productivity. For businesses, losing high-performing staff to overwork is a serious concern, and attracting new talent, particularly Gen Z, requires reassuring new employees against overpressure.

Strategic Counter Balance

Strategic doesn’t necessarily mean complex. To counter the current state, leaders must fundamentally reimagine the future of work. A nimble and transparent culture is not just about employee well-being; it's a strategic advantage that fosters trust, improves performance, and attracts talent.

Actionable strategies for mid- and upper-management to cultivate a culture where humans are treated like humans:

1. Affirmatively Define Communication Effectiveness:

   1. Train for Better Communication: Provide employees with tools to communicate more effectively; less often, greater efficiency. This includes basics like emailing politely and succinctly and putting pertinent information upfront.

   2. Utilize Tools Intentionally: Encourage and prioritize the use of tools like Do Not Disturb and a schedule-send feature (this one is particularly great for reminders and popcorn ideas that certainly can wait, but you still need to record it or it will fly away…)

   3. Behavior > Policy: All of the rules in the world will help nothing if people don’t observe them. But if leadership openly declares a change in behavior and then leads by example, the culture change might actually take shape.

2. Optimize Workloads & Priorities:

   1. Be Clear About Priorities: Help employees understand what to focus on and, crucially, what to disregard or delegate. This provides clarity and reduces cognitive load.

   2. Audit Workloads: Conduct regular work audits to determine if the workload still represents 1.0 FTE and if it’s on track for what the position was designed to do. DANGER - it’s not a “do I get to keep my job” shadow performance review. It’s a chance to ensure focus on the expectations and that folks are not doing more than they should be. This ensures sustainable workloads and prevents burnout.

   3. Manage Meeting Time Wisely: Clarity with an agenda (that is actually used), start on time, “Don’t punish the punctual,” and end on time or early if the agenda has been covered. 

3. Embrace Intentional Transparency:

   1. Your Culture is Already Public: Employees share everything, from 360s to salary data, and culture leaks through Glassdoor, LinkedIn and group chats. Instead of trying to control the narrative, provide great experiences to share. Even though bad news spreads like wildfire, if there’s not as much of it, it looks more like an instance than a trend.

   2. Transparency Builds Trust: Which in turn, increases productivity, engagement, reduces turnover, and facilitates more honest conversations and feedback. 

   3. Train Leaders for the Public Era: The Internet is forever so emails, screenshots, and recordings can go viral if things go sideways. Managers can manage what may be difficult situations by:

      1. State facts plainly without embellishment or values-added language.

      2. Speak as themselves, not corporate agents (use notes, not a script)

      3. Document their decisions and lead with the overarching purpose.

      4. Sing like nobody’s listening. Dance like nobody’s watching. Email like it’s going to be subpoenaed.

      5. Define Clear Boundaries: My favorite least-favorite thing about transparency; it’s not for everything in every situation, all the time. Clearly define “transparency” to not include areas and concepts such as personnel reviews, employee safety threats, candidates under consideration, and any other legally-bound restricted information. Even if bound by non-disclosures of any nature, the conversation can go to trust and assuming the positive (e.g. “I wouldn’t make a decision to intentionally cause a problem. I can’t share precisely what is happening, but I am asking you to trust that I will make the best decision I can with the available information.”)

Reward Desired Behaviors

“That dude’s a real jerk to everyone except his clients. He’s no fun to work with, but he meets his numbers every quarter.” Honestly, so what if he makes the numbers? It’s a near guarantee that he’s bringing everyone else down by being a jerk. Don't reward or encourage behaviors that contribute to a culture not promoting wellness. A more supportive and, dare I say, team-like atmosphere will reinforce a healthy and productive working environment.

People don’t need to feel like they have to work 24/7 - no human is built for that. When we do work, being treated with dignity and respect will generate a significant ROI compared to utilizing force and coercion. This approach not only supports employee well-being and reduces burnout but also builds a resilient, nimble organization ready to attract and retain top talent for the long term.