Winning the hearts and minds of middle managers
Written by Natalia Smalyuk
In the second year of the pandemic, the old problem of an absent manager acquires a new urgency. How can organizations rally their mid-level cadre to push through the fatigue of a long-haul crisis to flourish instead of languishing? We took on this question in the Academy of Business Communications podcast, Swear Jar – and jotted some tips below.
According to psychologists, communication participants allocate only seven per cent of importance to words, 38 per cent to the tone of voice, and 55 per cent to nonverbal behaviours. It’s hardly a surprise that, in today’s virtual workplace, non-verbal cues are difficult to read.
Smiley faces and emojis are not our true emotions. Someone showing a thumbs up on Zoom may fail to ask deeper questions or take the important step of reaffirming trust that started to erode. A colleague smiling on a virtual screen could feel emotionally disconnected from what’s happening.
Behind the screen is a complex psychology of the workplace still going through a mega crisis, with stress and uncertainty becoming a breeding ground for misunderstanding. Employees may feel insecure about where the company is going, what the future of work will look like, where they fit in, and how they can rise to the next level. Listening with “threatened” ears, they could be missing important signals, starting to live inside their inner drama a psychologist Judith Glaser calls “movies of the mind.”
How can virtual teams push forward and thrive together? Here are some idea starters from conversations with the leaders on how to rally the troops during the trying times.
Over-communicate – but don’t overwhelm.
Misunderstanding grows in the absence of the right, or frequent enough touchpoints. Leaders may scale back their interaction with managers because there’s no time in the day to check in regularly or there are way too many meetings already. But under-communication in a remote setting, against the backdrop of anxiety in a crisis, is a recipe for disengagement. Regular team and direct report touchpoints are vital, but they don’t need to contribute to Zoom fatigue. Quick frequent check-ins are better than occasional long catch-ups, and work best in a rich communication environment where managers can easily find what they need on the platforms that work for them. A vibrant intranet or weekly CEO videos that employees can view on their own schedule are some of the tactics that help them regain control and connection while juggling the day’s priorities.
Create a safe work environment.
In a crisis, the workplace can easily flood with fear and negativity. Scientists say that, when our brain is confronted with a threat, a neurotransmitter called cortisol shuts down our advanced human capacities, such as trust, empathy and strategic thinking. What’s activated is the amygdala, the part of the brain that triggers a “fight or flight” response. In an environment of stress, executives should be intentional about the conversational biochemistry to mitigate an “amygdala hijack” and create a positive team climate. Frequent leadership updates reduce psychological uncertainty, even if they repeat what has already been said or decided, and what still remains unknown. Celebrating small wins and recognizing progress opens the space for TRUST, which, according to Glaser, serves up a cocktail of the brain’s feel-good chemicals, such as oxytocin. We all need that!
Change the context.
The virtual workplace can be … blah. Here are a few ways to break the monotony, wake up creativity or simply stir up a bit more oxytocin:
Set up a place where teams can hang out together in small groups, for example, with their kids or pets. For now, this space could be virtual, of course.
Change the meeting setting – for example, suggesting a “walk-and-talk” instead of a video call. If it’s just a stroll around the condo, that’s o.k., too.
Set up a team walking contest with a virtual get-together to award the winners. Those picking up the most miles get a prize.
Start team huddles with some physical exercise. Cameras on, please! End the week with team games to decompress.
Finish meetings 10 minutes early. In a time-starved environment, colleagues welcome a pause to catch up on email or just take a short break.
Change the virtual background. One leader shifted her small talk with coworkers from weather to Star Wars making her virtual space look like the interior of a spaceship!
Build a virtual community.
Neuroscientists say the human need to belong is more powerful than the need for physical safety. In fact, it’s critical for mental health. We all want to feel that we fit into the tribe. In a virtual environment, in a crisis, that need to belong is stronger than ever. Our brains have unique mirror neurons that help us feel “we’re all in this together.” Leaders who are able to activate these neurons show their vulnerable side, revealing some of their deeper aspirations and even fears. There’s interesting new research suggesting that employees are now more comfortable talking about the subjects that were taboo in the past, such as politics and religion. Encouraging managers to get to know their co-workers as human beings, with their unique experiences and stories, leaders create a culture where it’s o.k. to bring one’s whole self to work.
Connect people to purpose.
Spending a lot of time at home, virtual workers ask deeper questions. What’s important to them? Do they find that in the organization they work for? True engagement happens only when employees connect their own purpose to their company’s purpose. It’s not about words on a poster or bullet points on a screen, but each individual answer to the question: “Why should I care?” This is a deep dialogue people have with themselves first before they have it with others. Leaders who have the courage to go there with their managers model this behaviour across the organization. Purpose conversations can also be enterprise-wide. For example, shared meanings bubble up into words in facilitated discussions that could start at the frontline level and walk their way up to the leadership team.
Organizations are ready for re-engagement with a sense of progress and purpose. We can all learn from the leaders who get it right, doing extraordinary things with their teams during the tough times and helping their people flourish. We’d love to hear your story.