Embrace The Chaos To Find The Opportunity

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted our way of life. For the first time in our generation, we had to be confined to our living space. While most corporates before the pandemic may have been sceptical about employees working from home, lockdown conditions made this near mandatory. Left with no other option, corporates had to lean in and, to the surprise of many, the fear of a decline in productivity awas nullified. Employees showed that working from home does not equate to a lack of productivity. In fact, in many cases it enhanced productivity.

Things have shifted again and now, as we look forward into the post-Covid era, hybrid work models are likely to be the new normal. On many managers’ minds is how employees can optimally work from home and yet maintain team cohension to ensure a healthy work environment.

Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people. (Steve Jobs)

The right team culture fosters good relationships among employees. Pre-Covid, some teams liked to spare a moment to have light-hearted conversations while some had lunch or coffee together. Although working from home caused a physical separation, nothing stops teams from maintaining this culture. The key is that teams interact on a social basis to create cohesion. So, setting time in your calendars, having everyone make their cup of coffee and coming to the Zoom or Microsoft Teams meetings with their cameras switched on, can promote and foster sociability among team members.

Great teamwork is the only way we create the breakthroughts that define our careers (Pat Riley)

Harmony in a team results in increased productivity because even the most struggling employee can get assistance quickly; staff morale is improved (as human beings we naturally gravitate towards positive energy); and harmony can also lead to changes in perspective as, depending on the conversations, listening to different points of view can be an enlightening experience.

Part of navigating team dynamics is to understand different personalities. Some people are extroverts, others introverts. Extroverts are energised by engaging in larger groups, whereas introverts tend to express themselves better in smaller circles, especially if they are interacting one-on-one.

Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much. (Helen Keller)

Another way to maintain positive work relationships is to be intentional about checking in with each other on a one-on-one basis. The team leader has a key role to play here. It is not only their responsibility to check in on employees, but also to encourage or arrange peer-to-peer chats where needed or appropriate. Having a colleague to speak to about work-related issues can make one feel supported and understood. This improves mental well-being and thus leads to enhancements in productivity. The relationship can work both ways where the employee with an issue initiates the conversation with a fellow employee or vice versa. Being purposeful about checking in on each other as a team generates positive results.

If you can laugh together, you can work together. (Robert Orben)

Lastly, it is important always to remember to have fun. While it would have been easy to go for drinks after work when working at the office, nothing should prohibit that from happening while working remotely. If a hybrid work arrangement is in place, teams can still arrange to meet up at a restaurant of their choice just to debrief the week or month.

Team builds are another way for teams to have fun – from game nights to adventure tasks, the list is endless. The benefit is that those who are still new to the team get to know their fellow employees better under informal conditions which enhances the unity of the team. The other spin-off of team builds is that members can get to identify the strengths and weaknesses of others which, if handled with sensitivity and care, can improve understanding of the team’s dynamics.

In conclusion, I leave you with an African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

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