Crisis…
Fatigue…
Fear…
Panic…
Job losses…
Unemployment…
Virtual teams…
Remote working…

Take a breath.

Without a doubt we are learning, adapting and surviving through one of the toughest health, mental health, social and financial crises in a generation. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across the world with staggering efficiency. Many countries have employed a range of quarantine measures where the frequency and content of the message can change often. We subsequently find that we are each in a position where we must obey and uphold the social contracts outlined in these measures, to keep ourselves and others safe.

We are functioning in an environment of change and uncertainty in both our personal and professional lives. This may bring feelings of anxiety, fear, burnout and unpredictability, just to name a few. These responses not only impact your emotional state, but influence the interactions you have with people, from home- to work- life. It becomes more prudent to take time to recognise your emotional responses and respond proactively across various domains of your life.

Moving beyond crisis and rethinking business as usual

In Australia most workplaces have also been subject to changes, whether that is moving all employees to operating virtually from their homes, moving their business model and employees to work virtually or sadly stopping trade temporarily or permanently. With shifts to the virtual environment there are impacts on both team functioning and performance, with factors such as task interdependence, task complexity, job resources and work design all contributing to varied team outcomes (for a recent review, see Handke and colleagues (2019)). Many organisations and employees have been reactive to the crisis phase or just focused on meeting the baseline requirements of Business As Usual (BAU). As time ticks on, there are conseq¬uences for staying in the crisis phase and not moving towards the next phase of “gaining traction”.

Why focus now on gaining traction

• Operating in a crisis mode on a longer-term basis is not sustainable

• There are only so many weeks a team can be in crisis before fatigue sets in and a whole host of counterproductive behaviours become evident (i.e. psychological reactions, team dynamic issues and team unity issues).

• Team leaders and members aren’t planning for the medium or long term, which leaves teams on the backfoot with planning work and potentially mishandling their as strategic alignment and direction, goal setting, team monitoring and team resourcing.

• Teams miss opportunities for collaboration, feedback & recognition, decision making & innovation, and learning & development.

• Teams are still working off their pre-coronavirus priority list, but not acknowledging it is a different working space and the goal posts may have changed or the goals may be no longer relevant

• Even if the goals stay the same, the pace of delivery, or the set of tactics needed to achieve the goals may need rethinking and new, creative, and flexible new approaches need to be found and applied.

Shifting teams to “Gaining Traction” and looking at ways to leverage their work possibilities in the virtual space generates a range of benefits. We can begin to harness benefits including collaboration, decision-making, problem-solving and innovation.

Ideas for action: Ways to gain traction

Gaining traction is shifting out of being in a holding pattern, crisis mode or just doing BAU basics to start making decisions that enable teams to thrive virtual working. This may look like:

• Refreshing the team’s charter and adjusting processes and behaviours to better suit the virtual space

• Revisiting previously agreed priorities and goals to adjust them so people have good information and clarity

• Exploring how BAU can effectively still be delivered using different strategies and tactics (i.e. workload distribution, use of (or training around) specific technologies, specific goal setting)

• Enabling access to critical resources such as information, materials, and team/individual expertise

• Strengthening the connections and promote interactivity within the team and with stakeholders via regular and reliable communications and check-ins, particularly to assist feelings of trust and cohesion

• Sharing tips for greater personal & team productivity

What gaining traction can feel like

Some of these actions may feel clunky, unusual, frustrating, or difficult. While at times they may feel okay, manageable, or even enjoyable. Try not to judge and draw parallels between online and in-the-office – there will be a continuum of differences from small to large. You may need to redefine your rules for success. That’s okay. We’re in somewhat uncharted territory – it’s not the new normal. We’re in a dynamic system of change, one that requires us to open, flexible and nimble to change.

Act now

It is important to recognise that the virtual space is different to being back in the office, particularly if you have not worked as a virtual team before. Just as you may have “settled”, we’re suggesting you shift up a gear. Studies of high performing teams show that you need more than just the basics to be in place to be successful. Contact us at Impactful Work if you’d like some expert help.