To All the COVID-Era Bosses Out There
By: Marissa Christiansen
Tags: Covid, Leadership, Work, Morale, Productivity

To All the COVID-Era Bosses Out There

Though the pandemic no longer rules our headlines, it’s still very much a clear and present mortal danger. Our collective psyche continues to be taxed by a drastically altered life, diminished support networks, and a future that looms morbidly uncertain as the third wave races across the country. Myriad articles have been published on women being forced out of the workforce in record numbers as they face the unfathomable choice between their child and the job that provides for them; ever widening the gender pay gap. Marriages strain under the pressure of co-working from home and juggling childcare. Single folks who live alone feel the void left by the social life that once was, while we all demonstrate the obligatory horror of where this has left us as a nation.

You would think the monstrous events of 2020 would be an inflection point for leaders everywhere to re-evaluate their priorities and maybe even their management style. And yet, in the past week I have heard two different leaders in my immediate circle complain about their teams’ productivity and enforce new policies aimed at “getting their full 40 hours out of them.” In one case, ignoring state guidelines by requiring team members to report to the office (for a job that in no way can be deemed “essential”). A team member under one of these managers lamented to his boss that he’s doing the best he can, working 12 hour days, but trying to share childcare of two small children with his wife who is also working from home. The response — “well, maybe we can arrange for you to get some time alone in the office.” As if to say the lack of solitude is the biggest hurdle. “Tone deaf” is a phrase that comes to mind. “Blind spot” is another.

As a leader myself — one who is plenty flawed in my own approach to a new down-shifted bandwidth and replete with my own blindspots — I want to say this: Bosses, we need to DO BETTER.

Everyone I know in both my personal and professional life is working harder than they ever have under absolutely extraordinary circumstances. As a result people are burned out, depressed, and feel disconnected. We have to acknowledge this as our reality, understand what it means for our expectations, and accept that there is a new reduced 100%.

Good leadership is putting your team first, even in the face of potential consequence. If you’re just forcing your people to punch the timecard because you think that will alleviate whatever pressure you’re feeling; if your top priority isn’t your team; if you think managing up means being a “yes man” and managing down means enforcing rules instead of inspiring outcomes — YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG.

And to the novice manager who is concerned about “getting the full 40” from someone, read one of the hundreds of articles on productivity. I’ll give you the Cliff’s notes: no one is productive for a full eight straight hours a day, even in normal circumstances. Productivity (and retention and the bottom line) suffers mightily if your team doesn’t feel valued…and nothing devalues a person like putting your relatively inconsequential deadline or deliverable ahead of their or their family’s well being. It’s the type of management that engenders anger and resentment, which are incredibly infectious emotions, even within a remote team.

If there’s anything every single event of 2020 has taught us, it’s that our culture does not value taking care of ourselves or each other, and we are literally dying because of it. We have a real opportunity to create a long overdue culture shift. One where we value the human condition over the almighty dollar. If we can accept a new reality for our teams and support them through it; the morale, retention, loyalty, creativity and productivity that follows will be our reward.

As leaders, we have a chance to show courage and true leadership by creating space for the little mistakes and reduced bandwidth that come with immense stress — including our own — and change course when we misstep. Because this is hard. For everyone.

Emerge from this with your team intact and as a better boss. Be the change.