| Over the past few weeks, you’ve likely learned a thing or two about your colleagues, their homes, their families and their work styles, and who has a tendency to micromanage. Amid uncertainty, it’s human nature to tighten your grip on the things you can control, but now is not the time for rules requiring that employees request breaks and immediately respond to messages as proof of work.
“For the past two to three years, everybody has been speaking about culture and what it means to take care of employees,” says Ariel Weindling, an employment lawyer and chief executive of harassment-reporting software company #NotMe. “Companies that have not fostered a true culture that is centered around the respect and the individual needs of the employee will have an uphill battle now that their workforce is remote.”
So, what does this mean for all of the managers out there? Stop micromanaging and start listening. “Managers need to communicate with empathy,” he says. “It is not a time to patronize anyone—it has to be a time of togetherness.”
And here’s more on everything you need to know about working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. |
