Last week we hosted a breakfast with senior HR leaders to discuss what is required of leaders in our new hybrid world - specifically with regard to engagement.

Here is a helpful set of pitfalls and principles to keep in mind as we navigate our new reality:

The pitfalls leaders could fall into

1. Overbalancing for personal circumstance - As the pressure for growth post-pandemic builds, we will need our teams pulling hard together to drive performance – that means personal circumstances shouldn’t fall off the radar – but we do need an order of priority - putting the customer first, the interests of our team next and only then what’s best for our personal circumstances.
    
2. Failing to raise the ceiling - Leaders know instinctively what researchers are now confirming. Whilst productivity on relatively transactional tasks has improved, connection to customers, strategic and creative thinking, relationships and development of new talent, and wellbeing in general... have all suffered. How do we create a new normal, that is not just an amalgamation of the old and the new. One that has more connection to customers, more innovation, more productive relationships, more coaching and development, more inclusivity and relies on leaders to recognize when the pressure is piling on, prioritisation is failing, or if our colleagues have an unhealthy relationship with their work
    
3. Not maintaining focus on what makes the biggest difference – The underlying drivers of engagement remain the same:

• Purpose – deep connection to the role we play. Driving meaning and unity
• Progress – Knowing our work counts for something and our efforts are worthwhile. Moving forward without barriers
• Team – Feeling connected to part of a team, recognizing what we can only achieve together. Trusted relationships with each other

Some principles to keep in mind

1. Conversations over rulebooks – The companies that will win in this environment are not those who have all the answers but those that encourage the right conversations, and coach leaders and managers in how to have them.
    
2. Team over individual – We need our leaders to lead with empathy, whilst keeping focus on what is best for the customer and the team. The strength of our relationships is what will make the difference here, something which has taken over a toll over the last 18 months.
    
3. Outcomes over input – Getting crystal clear on the outcomes we need to see as a business and ensuring teams own those outcomes. Then giving them the tools they need to guide their decision making and evaluate how they are performing for themselves to shift the focus from hours at the (work from home) desk to the results delivered.
    
4. Progress over perfection – the ‘Future of Work’ project has no finite end and will need a level of fluidity that our people may find uncomfortable. There will be missteps and course correcting, and we need to accept that as part of the progress. Communication, transparency and supporting leaders in the conversations they need to have are the only way to make it work in the long term.