Productivity: A Game of Give and Take

Organizations are doing their best to charter unknown waters as the work shifts into the new normal. Leaders set policies, shift mindsets, and change workplace design to suit the change and keep talent. After all, employees are any business’s asset. What then is the role of the employee?

In the end, employers are providing a lot to take in return. Management’s expectations regarding productivity remain high regardless of whether the employee works from home, from the office, or a spoke. What then should an employee do in return? Well, the answer seems simple: Work! Isn’t this why employees have been hired in the first place?

However, employers wouldn’t have set performance indicators and paved the road to performance with perks and benefits if it were that straightforward. It takes a lot for an employee to work and perform. And the shortcut answer to this question does not provide a satisfying answer.

According to The Human Element (THE), employees need to be:

Self-Aware: Employees need to understand the impact of remote, hybrid, or hub-and-spoke dynamics on themselves. They need to ask themselves questions. Does it elevate their levels of anxiety? Why? Does it help their productivity? What do they need? Asking those questions helps them and their leaders to adjust accordingly.

Openness: When leaders build trust, it makes it easier for employees to voice their worries and concerns. Without necessary openness in terms of aspects that leaders can work on, having self-awareness does not serve the purpose. Employees need to share with management in order to make adjustments and changes when possible.

Choice: Employees need to acknowledge that they have a choice. Either accept the new normal and go with the flow or stubbornly insist that the workplace goes back to the old ways, which is nearly impossible. Hence, they need to adapt. They also need to acknowledge their choice in dealing with their worries, time, and handling themselves.

Of course, it takes even more. But handling our inner worlds will always have a significant impact on ourselves and others.

It’s indeed a new world, with new rules, and workplaces are definitely impacted. Hence, employees and leaders take lots of work to navigate all the unknowns. It’s a matter of trial, error, and lots of learning, till storms of change calm. Till then, let’s all keep learning.