OUR SERVICES
Leading Virtually, Leading Personally
Leading Virtually, Leading Personally
Putting It in Context
Since the pandemic at the latest, leadership and collaboration have changed dramatically. Distributed teams and virtual collaboration across borders and time zones existed before – but adapting to pandemic-related contact restrictions increased their scale considerably. Few companies with distributed teams have returned to the pre-pandemic mix of on-site and remote work. On the contrary, we now often encounter offices that have been given up and teams scattered in all directions that work together mainly online. Leaders sometimes have not even met parts of their team in person, and entire projects are completed without anyone meeting face to face. No change leaves us untouched – and here, too, there are many challenges to master.
The Intensity of Change
Some people tell us about a much better working world in which they can organize themselves and their work far better – and thus achieve a better work-life balance. Just as many tell us that they feel completely left behind and lost, because so much virtual collaboration can reduce productivity and lead to isolation. Many a leader discovers that none of the tools they have learned really work anymore in virtual leadership. In some cases, entirely new approaches are needed for a team to work closely and personally together – across maximum distance in time and space.
Lessons Learned
At a time when skilled workers are increasingly scarce, it is especially important not to lose anyone simply because no suitable answers have been found to the new way of “working together apart.” Employee retention, team cohesion, and closeness between leaders and their teams need to be fostered – sometimes with new rituals and approaches that may seem unusual at first. The advantages of the new world should be strengthened, and the disadvantages that individuals experience reduced or eliminated. From our work in this area, we have gathered numerous lessons learned and turned them into successful methods that lift morale and have a positive effect on results.