Dilemma: A leader in a global virtual team appreciates chatting with her team about everything and nothing – privately and professionally. Everything is communicated in a big jumble. She does it to make them feel like a team across the distance. Her employees feel compelled to participate, even though it is difficult for them to do any concrete work in the meantime. Because in the middle of a story about her new house, an important message comes in relation to their work. So, if they are not part of the chat, they will not get crucial professional information.
Just like other global tech organizations, there‘s plenty to do for the employees. They actually have a hard time keeping up. This challenges the fact that when they have to chat, they can‘t focus and concentrate on work tasks.
What are they going to do then, you might think?
It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to become focused and get into deep concentration. This means that you have to spend 20 minutes more to get into the same focus mode when you are interrupted by e.g., a chat, an email notification, a colleague who wants to talk or a text message. Moreover, it uses mental energy to be interrupted. Mental energy is not an exhaustible resource. Something we sometimes overlook. According to research from Cambridge University, your brain uses about 20% of your total daily energy expenditure.
Distance management is a management discipline that puts many managers to the test because there is less room for loose chat on a conference call or an email. But among other things it’s the informal chat that binds people together. When we are not together physically, we also lose many signals from each other. For about 90% of what we say, we say with the body. The leader is therefore in a dilemma.
That is why being aware of when it is time for chatting and when it isn’t is a game changer. Many people – that we work with – benefit of having focus time blocked in their calendar where no one and nothing can interrupt. This means that all notifications are paused, and the phone is on silent mode. It is a method worth trying but also asking yourself and your team a question.
Digitizing our work processes is a path to increased productivity – but if we don‘t use our tools correctly, the efficiency of knowledge workers decreases. Because we simply get too disturbed. People’s ability to concentrate is declining – partly due to technological disruptions. As mentioned earlier, it takes 20 min. to get into focus, but just 10 years ago it took 17 min. We have therefore become less able to concentrate.
More and more teams will need to work together virtually, globally, as this team does. Therefore, it is recommended that you as a leader ask yourself or your team the following question: How do you as a leader balance personalized chat and focus time? It is a question that you can either reflect on yourself as a leader or even better ask your team so that together you can find out what works for you.
Understanding people’s boundaries can be challenging for some leaders. This isn’t always because they’re selfish or indifferent—it’s often just difficult to know how to motivate, engage, create clarity, and respect others’ boundaries, especially when those boundaries differ from their own. Read more here.
Marie’s journey through coaching was nothing short of remarkable. A high-achieving leader with a big heart and sharp skills, she found herself trapped in a tough and toxic situation. Yet, she didn’t just survive—she thrived. She triumphed. And now, with her permission, I’m sharing her story in hopes that others might find the strength to do the same.
As a leader, you will undoubtedly encounter employees with low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is like the leaky jar of the Danaids, a jar that is never filled—no matter how much you pour in. This results in people never feeling like they are enough. As a leader, it’s important to be aware if some of your employees have low self-esteem so you can lead them well and help them build more self-worth. It is possible to develop more self-esteem as an adult, and a boss can play a role in that. It benefits both the employee, the company, and the boss if the employee gains more self-esteem.
Vi har meningsfulde samtaler, der forbedrer situationer.
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