Command & Control 2.0
Organizations need command and control to operate well. How that command and control get expressed makes a difference. And the pandemic has shaken our practices and underlying assumptions to their roots.
Managers are nervous about productivity and control and returning to “normal” on-location work, even though it’s highly unlikely we will approximate normal ever again. Assumptions about how to manage and lead are in question, without obvious answers; the discomfort is palpable.
And yet, there are ways to move forward, even without the mirage of certainty. We can move towards clarity.
What assumptions will need to be dropped? What experiments will need to be enacted to see what works in this new environment? This is an opportunity to start with a clean(er) sheet of paper in the design of effective management practices. To that end, how can employees’ perspectives be solicited and included in the considerations? How can their concerns, tempered by more than 18 months of working remotely, be heard and considered in the design of what’s next?
Though unrequested, this is an unparalleled chance to be inclusive, listen freshly, and think beyond old paradigms and practices. For sure some ways of operating will need to change. No longer can we count on proximity to carry the day. Some work processes are likely to change. Where they are accomplished will reflect the broader venues accommodated and demanded by the pandemic. Managers will need to rethink how they set expectations, review progress, and support performance. New practices are there to develop and become proficient at. There are new learning curves to climb.
Similarly, leadership is even more about setting context (direction, vision, mission/purpose, priorities, values, mood). Leaders bring the weather, setting the emotional tone for the organization. They model the values through their behaviors and priorities, creating a felt sense of psychological safety, or not. At every level, they are (or can be) the standard-bearers for effective, human-based connection. From front-line supervisors to C-suite executives, they can elevate their game and in so doing, elevate the collective game of those they guide and influence.
On the other hand, much of what motivates and supports people to engage in productive work remains the same, can be drawn on, and counted on. What are their wants?
· To be included and feel connected;
· To do meaningful, challenging work, especially if connected to a higher purpose;
· To have opportunities to grow in their effectiveness;
· To exercise autonomy in how they go about their work, keeping in mind the standards against which their work outputs will be judged;
· To have the proper tools and needed information to do the job;
· To be properly incented for desired performance, individual and collaborative;
· To feel respected and safe enough to speak up, contribute, and challenge;
· To be enabled to dynamically balance work life with other important personal domains.
As managers and leaders, this is our challenge and opportunity. And for those who coach them. Growing in this direction will likely require a culture shift, even a transformation, and a change management process to make it stick. Will your collective leadership have the courage and foresight to take this path? Will you? Can we move beyond the simplistic stories and points of view that obscure the nature of the work ahead?
OMG. Let’s talk about it and source each other.
#selfleadership #designyourlife #humanbasedleadership