Recently we’ve spotted memes and TikTok videos demonstrating how employees MacGyver their computer mouse when working from home. These employees believe their mouse needs to be in constant motion, even when feeding the dog or taking a lunch break. They now sell mouse movers online! On the other end of the screen, some employers can view when their employee is “away.” If the employee is away, are they working? How does a company ensure their employee is working a full day?
The idea that someone needs to tie a string from their mouse to an oscillating fan is a bottom-of-the-barrel symptom of management dysfunction. If not sitting at their computer, the assumption is they’re not performing. This is an antiquated work environment where employees are paid for hours versus paid for projects and tasks completed.
When everyone started working from home in 2020, we embraced this new work environment to provide more work/life balance. This year, companies are looking to strike the right approach to getting employees back to the office.
It’s time for an effective approach! It’s surprising to learn that many employees have outdated job descriptions or no job description at all. The manager is holding an employee accountable for something not defined between parties. Get the job descriptions updated, so all responsibilities and expectations are clear.
Once the job description is in place, provide clarity around projects, roles, tasks, and deadlines. Managers should adopt a “predictable weekly cycle” for meetings and deadlines and ensure everyone is clear about the cycle. Beginning of a workweek or project, the manager requests the employee create a project or perform tasks by a deadline. Clarity about the goal, or the manager’s conditions of satisfaction, is critical. For example, the employee is assigned a task or project and it’s due Friday at 3 PM. The work is completed when XYZ conditions are met. Additionally, create a consistent time for managers and employees to connect as part of a predictable weekly cycle.
”Managers should adopt a predictable weekly cycle for meetings and deadlines and ensure everyone is clear about the cycle.
Job description, predictable weekly cycle, and assigning projects, roles, tasks, and deadlines are in place. Give the employees space to design their work from home life. Does it matter if they work twenty hours this week or fifty hours this week? Does it matter if they complete their assignments mid-morning or at midnight? Some people work fast, some slow, and everyone works their best at different times. If the employee is accomplishing everything you assign to them, consider the work from home dynamic a win.
Adopting the philosophies, structures, and tools to implement this new dynamic effectively is something we enjoy creating with our clients. It’s rewarding to watch both employer and employee take a collective deep breath and accomplish even more once they embrace the new mindset.
