John Pierce is Head of Business Development at Cetera Financial Group, driving Cetera's financial professional recruiting strategy.
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The global pandemic has created a remote work environment that has altered the traditional workplace for what may be generations to come. This new environment comes with efficiencies and productivity levers for both colleagues and firms, but we are in uncharted territory. This gives us the opportunity to learn and potentially shift our behavior. While we have experienced this new work environment for several months, it is important to consider six levers in a working-from-home (WFH) state to help support growth and protect the well-being of all associates.
1. Empathy
Companies and individuals are in uncharted territory in a WFH environment. If you are a leader, you must pause, take a virtual step back and realize everyone reacts differently to radical change. Instead of responding to a situation as you would have pre-pandemic, put on your “self-awareness hat” and consider that a teammate may have different struggles, challenges and opportunities that are different from yours. Empathy, active listening and regular monitoring of what’s working and what’s not are critical in this new reality.
For managers, this means reacting less, listening more and responding to the changing needs of your teammates. As an individual, if you are struggling, don’t bury those struggles — reach out to friends, mentors, coaches and your firm and ask for help. Asking for help is the ultimate recognition of strength, not weakness. Each of us has struggled with these significant changes to our work situation and we should recognize that fact.
2. Etiquette
Who would have imagined that our commute would be replaced by multi-hour days of Zoom calls? Let’s cover a few “Safety Tips” in our new virtual environment:
• Understand your technology. Regardless of platform, ensure you know how to use and operate your firm’s technology. If you are having problems, ask for help.
• Test your technology before important meetings. Is the video functioning? Is the sound functioning? Do you have a strong internet connection? Can you share your screen? Today we not only have to prepare our content, but we also have to prepare our delivery mechanism since we don’t gather in conference rooms.
• Assume your camera and sound are on for the entire world to see and hear once you open your browser.
• Don’t lose any sleep as the dog barks, your child intervenes or the doorbell rings. This is our new reality; laugh it off and move on.
3. Diversity
A positive consequence of WFH is the virtual un-burdening of being in an office. As we have more time by ourselves, we also have more time to think creatively and differently. Leaders should celebrate diversity in thinking, people and ideas in our new work life. Now is the appropriate time to solicit or provide new ideas, concepts and ways of working within your organization. Throw off top-down and actively embrace new ideas, thoughts and solutions that are learned in our new reality. Each of us is unique with different experiences, and now is the time to leverage these experiences to grow and evolve our firms.
4. Creative Bonding
Even though we cannot be face to face, we still need to be connected to be productive and develop relationships. Here are two considerations in this new environment:
Hold virtual happy hours. Celebrate with each other by blocking time on a regular basis where you don’t discuss work, but celebrate life. Have different teammates introduce round-robin questions so you can learn about each other away from work. A great icebreaker in this virtual world is a simple question that can be revealing: “What are you thankful for?”
Some colleagues have joined your firm and never met you in person. That can be difficult. Spend more time learning about them: What do they do for fun? How did they get into the industry? What are their dreams? Spend less time on spreadsheets and more time on what really matters — the individual and their life.
5. Accountability
While WFH has created more freedom and flexibility, you have a job to do. WFH is not a free pass. This does not mean we can slack off and collect a paycheck without accountability. Hold yourself accountable to the key initiatives you are tasked to deliver. Communicate your successes and failures in a consistent and transparent manner. Many firms will incorporate productivity mechanisms to ensure employees are actually working. Get ahead of this process by working toward your stated goals and collaborating with teammates for the success of your business unit.
6. Mental Health
One of the positive unintended consequences of our new work environment is the acceptance that it’s OK to struggle. Many of the hard-faced facades have been broken by the reality that it is difficult to change work habits, not associate with colleagues in person and lose the comfort of the community we are used to. Our work environment was turned upside down overnight and that can be difficult to accept.
Each of us has a moral and corporate responsibility to help our friends and colleagues who are struggling. Ensure that corporate resources are readily accessible. Accept the fact that this new environment may be harder for some, and actively help them by listening, referring and acting to help. Also, don’t be a superhero — if you are struggling yourself, ask for help. These are uncharted territories that each of us needs to understand and figure out how to thrive within.
WFH can be viewed as a psychological study on how we adapt and evolve in a radically changed workplace. It is up to each of us to help ourselves and our colleagues to accept, grow and thrive for our personal health and corporate productivity. These six elements contribute to a strong and evolving culture that will separate you and your firm from your competition.
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