The new leadership challenges

I have written about this many columns ago. I talked about this in my webinars, and I have emphasized the heated debate between “RTO” (return to office) and “WFH” (work from home) but what caught me offguard was the intensity of the discussion, and the challenges companies and leaders are facing.

A few weeks ago, I spoke in the townhall meeting (virtual) of a company with more than a thousand participants in the same conference. They were encouraged to type in their questions, comments, and thoughts through the chat box. And they sure did. The moment somebody asked about the hybrid work environment, the whole chat box heated. Let me give you a few of them (no names to people and company).

A concerned leader asked: “How do we retain our talents if there are more attractive options outside that will offer more flexible options such as permanent WFH setup? This will be an attrition/recruitment nightmare for us. Please look at the expenses of how much we need to spend to retrain new resources to replace highly talented people.”

“In our two years of working from home, we have proven that we do not need to go back to the office to be productive. That is the same for our counterparts in (our Asian neighboring office) who will be PERMANENTLY working from home. Is there a plan for the company to make this option available to us given that this option is already available to our partners?”

“Is the company considering leaving PEZA so that we do not have to comply with the RTO policy and retain a hybrid setup for the wellbeing of our employees?”

Others are very practical but quite challenging: “Will there be a doctor in the clinic when we go back to work?”

Some comments may appear funny, but they are pretty serious: “Can we use the shower in (another floor) if needed?”

“Would the company provide sleeping quarters?”

“For those who have gone back to their hometowns, we have to look for places to stay. Will there be subsidies for dorm or rent expenses?”

See where this is going? Issues that have been created in the hybrid work environment. There are many challenges leaders must face. Challenges like:

a. How do you communicate effectively when some work on-site while others work remotely?

b. How do we create stability in an uncertain and ever-changing work environment?

c. How can leaders make fair decisions?

d. How can we keep the team focused amid so much change and uncertainties?

Perhaps there are things we need to study and reconsider. Whenever there is conflict and misunderstanding, one thing is clear. There is a lack of clarity. We can establish clarity by reviewing and assessing the way we do business. Are the following things still relevant?

Job descriptions? Are they clear?

Policies and regulations that are outdated and irrelevant to the current times that the pandemic has dramatically changed.

Leadership skills that are not attuned to the changing demographics.

What about priorities that continue to change even as change continues to accelerate?

Digital tools and enterprise system that does not address current needs?

Communications? It would not be like the old days when there would be hallway meetings, gatherings in a physical room, dealing with actual faces and at the same time with the people on the screen in a “hybrid meeting environment?” What would be the etiquette? What would be the proper procedure?

Conflict resolutions? The hybrid environment increases the likelihood of conflicts. Leaders need to be trained to have the capacity and competency to manage conflict among vendors, partners, contractors, remote workers, virtual teammates, and whatever the working arrangements.

These complexities can be taxing to the leaders. While we celebrate the opening of the economy and the prospect of a better future, these are just some of the concerns leaders must face and manage.

Business owners and senior leaders need to make sure that this is that crucial time of your business organization wherein you need to go out there and support your leaders. Do not allow your leaders to run on empty. Help them with the funding, the programs, the training, and the initiative they will have to take to inspire and encourage their teams to have the resilience to go through this challenging time of adjustments. Do not forget that you lose a lot more than just “people” who work for you when you lose your leaders and I do not even have to tell you what they are because you know. Inspire and encourage them too.

(Francis Kong runs his highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership 2.0 Master Class Online this May 24-26. For inquiries and reservations, contact April at +63928-559-1798 or and for more information, visit www.levelupleadership.ph)