The agenda for this meeting is to try and figure out why we're having this meeting!
Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. Henry Ford
There has been much written about the impact of COVID-19 on ways of working. The desire for people to work more flexibly and in a different way was not new. The research surrounding the conditions that enable people to be at their best and be more productive is also not new. Maybe the pandemic just helped to forcibly change the ‘system’? But how ready was the workplace? The HR Director’s recent report stated that significant cracks in organisation processes still exist if we want to maximise the ‘new’ way.
Forbes published an article surrounding ways to support the change to hybrid working. Suggestion number 2, on the 6-point guidance, is intentional work. If people are coming to an agreed place of work, then the activity they engage in should be intentional. This could (and should in our opinion) include social elements too. In a US study by Dr Don Sull, he researched 600 companies, spanning 39 industries, with an average heart-count of over 60k people. They determined the 5 traits of toxic cultures and identified 4 actions that managers can take to reduce attrition: lateral career opportunities, remote work opportunities, social events, and predictable schedules. The social event crops up again! Whether it be team building, drinks off-site, or an alternative activity that would not normally be associated with work (although could compliment it), investing in this intentional activity clearly pays dividends. Creating space for people to get together is important.
Jos de Blok (well worth a Google) talks about how managers often go on conventions and tell themselves they are doing a great job but most often the answers lie with the people on the front line. So, in a world of work where technology can create distance, how can you give rise to intentional collaborations that deliver?
The return to the office is a hot topic. In our conversations with people it seems there is more frustration from individuals if they are expected to attend a place of work to do exactly what they could do elsewhere. A survey of over 2000 people who worked at home during the pandemic highlighted that 34% didn’t want to go back to the office due to distractions. Although many reported ‘missing the water cooler chats’, other research also pointed to noise disturbances being a negative contributor to overall wellness. If people are expected to meet face to face, we need to make it count to mitigate some of this feeling.
Here are three points to consider:
- Purpose – everyone must be clear on what you are setting out to do. It’s ok if the reasons are social (that’s purposeful too) but make it clear. What can you do to make it worthwhile and productive for all? What do you want to achieve? After an intentional collaboration, check in with everyone and understand if it truly hit the mark and avoid people feeling their time was wasted. If you are going to meet, make it count.
- Who/what roles – we naturally want people to feel included, but we also need to recognise that not everyone needs to be present always. Socio-metric research carried out by the MIT Human Dynamics Lab found that the faster and deeper you get to know each other, the more you can work effectively with each other. Involving lots of people for the sake of it can slow down relationship building between those that are required in delivering outcomes. Equally, do you want people to walk away thinking “I’m not sure why I was there today”? That said, if there are individuals or job roles excluded, make it clear the reasons why.
- Structure – use tools and techniques that bring out the best in people. Try giving the participants autonomy surrounding how they will shape the session and defining what success would look like for them too. In our last post we shared a favourite way to involve everyone, drawing out different perspective (1-2-4-ALL). Questioning frameworks like ORID are also good. It may also be beneficial to avoid your standard meeting format depending on the purpose e.g., change the environment or use methods like LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®.
It's opportune for organisations to ramp up collaborative and inclusive ways of working but if the environment you are operating in fights against having such ambitions, then it won’t work.
A key factor not to overlook is communication. A Harvard Business Review article shared the Resistance-to-Support Spectrum as a tool to guide managers on the dialogue they should be having with their teams surrounding returning to the office and embracing intentional collaborations. Others have talked about FOMO – creating experiences where team members fear missing out, so they want to be a part of it.
However, the communication and connection don’t stop or start at a physical gathering. Solutions exist to keep conversations alive that may well have originated face to face. We came across workvivo recently and were blown away with how their software can bridge divides seamlessly, contributing to engagement and connecting people to purpose.
It’s not easy and one size never fits all but, in the words of Jane Austen, “It’s such a happiness when good people get together”.
Visit www.prometheanplay.co.uk to find out more.
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