HOW TO: Prosper in the digital workplace

By Nicole Alvino, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, SocialChorus

Ever get the feeling we’ve been on pause or holding out for our old way of life, pre-Covid-19, to return?

Now that lockdown has lifted, but with restrictions still in place, many find themselves in limbo – unsure of how to sustain or evolve their new practices and behaviours.

For businesses that means trying to navigate this ever-changing minefield that feels more complex than ever; addressing a range of questions posed by this ‘new normal’, and, ultimately, succeed in it.

Neuroscientist Lucas Millar, states that: “Now is a time in history, with what I would call high variants. So, there are many, many companies and individuals who are benefiting tremendously from this situation. It’s made their lives easier, opened up opportunities to spend time with their families and do things they never had time for. Then you have people who are struggling immensely, the demands on their time, attention and energy have basically exponentially increased and there’s so much lack of control and in this time of high variance we have many people with setbacks and many opportunities. It ends up presenting an opportunity for business where if you don’t rethink everything and try to emerge stronger than you’re going to be left in the dust…” Lucas Millar, Productivity & Cognitive Performance Researcher, UC Berkeley & Stoa Partners

Creating and Maintaining Trust – Even Remotely

For humans, like any other pack animal species, trust is paramount, and one of the unexpected positives of Covid-19 was the significant increase in trust and empathy across businesses. As we all hunkered down, people got to see their colleagues and senior leaders in a new light – or simply from their kitchen table, forming a new kind of connection.

On the flip slide, the best way to build trust in a team is to promote psychological safety. That’s pretty tough to do when you’re staring through computer screens at one another; especially when its long term.

According to Owain Service, Managing Director of The Behavioural Insights Team studies have consistently shown a strong correlation between levels of trust amongst a population and GDP. In other words, countries with the highest levels of social trust tend to be wealthier. How on earth can a simple behaviour like trust do this, you’re wondering? As Owain explains: “Trust lowers transaction costs and therefore encourages people to take risks. If you take this down to the level of a firm where trust is encouraged amongst individuals then the psychological distance between people lowers which in turn enables more natural, social connections and encourages conversations that build trust and spark creativity.”

Transparency, Trust and Collaboration Create Your Culture

Of course, if we’re going to develop more trust then we need to do a better job of promoting a culture where people feel secure in their roles and secure about being wrong. They need to feel comfortable suggesting crazy ideas, and knowing that when they are given critical feedback, it’s not personal and that it’s not an attack on their identity. Owain advises that creating a culture where trust flourishes doesn’t come from being told by the senior leadership team, it evolves by bringing together a diverse set of individuals and getting them to unify over a shared goal. When people share a commitment to one another they then share a belonging to the organisation which encourages positive, reciprocal interactions between individuals, teams and, ultimately, across the company itself.

So how can organisations foster a level of trust that will actually improve business performance?

On a basic day-to-day level, there are a few things that can make a big difference when working remotely:

• Give up the façade and reveal personal information. Show your kids and your pets, let people see the real you and be informal
• The very nature of videoconferencing does little to help develop trust as you would in person. Eye contact is impossible so do the following to help:
• • • Turn off self-view
    • Look at the green dot when you can
    • And show more of your body / hands (don’t be afraid to move around, it’s natural)

On a broader scale, a deep level of trust can only be established if the company culture encourages it:

• Transparency and information are absolutely key
• Centralise knowledge and information in an accessible way that works for everyone, no matter where they are, whether that’s the company mission and values or the health and safety policies and benefits programme. Make it easy to reach.
• Think critically about what benefits people actually care about. Is it the right tools and tech so that they’re comfortable working remotely or would a meditation subscription be of more help? Remember one size doesn’t fit all.
• Allow budget for people to meet in person at a WeWork or space that’s mutually easy to get to and adheres to social distancing requirements. People will want time with their colleagues and don’t just decide, ask them what they would like. Remember collaboration is key to the success of these new initiatives.

You can listen to the latest SocialChorus & Finsbury webinar here – Prospering in the Digital Workplace; Insights from Behavioural and Neurological Science.