Over the past few years, our workday context has undergone a series of changes. Some were external, such as COVID-19 and an unstable economy. Another development in the labor market is the growing number of open positions and seemingly many people looking to change jobs—this latter trend may be driven from within.
In October 2020, Boston Consulting Group published a study on the labor market before COVID-19. The report stated:
“Management expects 65% of the workforce to follow a partially hybrid remote model after COVID-19, of which 18% are expected to be fully remote”
Individual vs. community?
There is no indication that we’ll see fewer changes in the near future. Needs in the labor market are diverging further both for organizations and for employees, who have varying preferences about the tasks they perform and how they carry them out.
Is this a classic conflict between employee and employer? Not necessarily. But the starting point for finding balance and discovering a way to support each other lies in dialogue.
The foundation for dialogue is our relationships, our mutual trust, and our shared commitment to solving the task at hand. If we can reach that space of open dialogue, we can create a good workday for the individual while also meeting the needs of the team and the organization.
What you get from the job
In the past, you had to ask your manager for permission to work from home. Now, you might have to let people know if you’re actually coming into the office. For many, the “normal” workday has changed significantly. What used to be taken for granted is no longer a given.
So it’s worth asking yourself: What gives me energy at work? What do I get from my job that I can’t get elsewhere?
Is it a strong professional environment, recognition, the feeling of being part of a team, the ability to dive deep into tasks alone or with others? Take a look at your tasks and workdays, and make note of what brings you motivation.
Entering the laboratory together
Once you know what energizes, or drains, you at work, you and your team can step into the “laboratory” together.
In a laboratory, we experiment. We’re curious about each other’s needs and desires, and what shared opportunities may exist. We explore how to increase what brings both good energy and strong results, and reduce what drains us.
For example, if a team agrees to enter the laboratory, they open up a dialogue about what they want to test in terms of how they work. They run the experiment for a set period, then reflect on the outcome. From there, the team can decide whether it’s a path worth pursuing, with or without adjustments, or if something completely different is needed. Active listening is key in the laboratory to ensure the balance between individual and collective needs.
If you and your colleagues were to enter the lab, what would you want to test over the next 3 weeks? Where do you think there’s potential to boost both energy and results?
Creating a good workday within your community
As you explore what gives you energy, it’s also helpful to define how you work together.
If it’s difficult to get started, this exercise can help you describe your team’s collaboration. Think of your teamwork as a “room” and consider the following:
- What does the room look like?
- Does it have a fixed shape, or is it flexible?
- What influences the room?
- What are the room’s strengths?
- What does the room look like when you’re having a celebration at work?
- How do you enter the room? Is it easy or difficult for new colleagues to find their way in?
- Are there rooms next to or surrounding yours? What do they look like? Can people easily move between them?
- What is your room’s relationship to the others?
- Feel free to add your own questions about the room.
This exercise can be done individually, followed by group discussion, or in pairs where you interview each other. You can then compare answers and gain insights into where you complement each other or where it might be helpful to test new ways of working together in the lab.
Trust, dialogue, and experimentation are essential when it comes to balancing the paradox many experience: the desire to create a good workday for both the individual and the team.
*https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/the-path-to-remote-working-maturity
