The challenges of e-leadership

The challenges of e-leadership 

Just a few months ago those of us in leadership positions were accustomed to coming into the office in the morning, saying good morning and getting right to business with the staff. From the morning huddle, to sharing a cup of coffee in the breakroom and then on to other tasks that often required me visiting their cubicles or walking over to the other areas of the office to make myself available to those not in my immediate proximity, my days were filled with quick conversations, funny and not so funny jokes and more steps, definitely more steps and less snacks. Then COVID19 happened and changed everything, and did so, fast, so fast that we have yet to grasp exactly what’s happened even two months into the ordeal.  

The current global situation forced many of us to exercise a different management style than we’ve been used to all along. Many have lost their jobs and for those of us who still have one, while grateful, our world has been shaken to say the least. The team I got so used to seeing daily became a virtual team, I can hear and read, but no longer see. The office I had so carefully decorated to reflect my style and create a space that would allow me to become productive, turned into a laptop I bring everywhere to monitor staff, communicate with them and do video conferences from the comfort of... wherever I’m at that day. Communication has been a challenge as a quick question or answer now requires a lot of typing and careful consideration of my words, as a virtual world doesn’t do away with professional acceptable communication. I often must remind myself not to abbreviate during my textual communication and reading the messages over and over before sending them out to make sure the context is not just appropriate but carries no unwanted “tone.” Because let’s face it, if communicating via email to someone who’s left to interpret your writing however they please wasn’t hard enough, try sending a message through instant messaging to someone who’s falling back on productivity or doesn’t appear to be doing what they are supposed to.  

                     

Communicating professionally by employing proper grammar (and I know you've noticed my lack thereof) with a virtual team isn’t the only challenge though, try boosting collaboration between team members (Darics, 2020) who are no longer physically together. While working remotely everyone is expected to perform and complete tasks efficiently, however things happen in real life practice and that still holds true in a remote digital environment. Staff get sick, systems crash, and work needs to still be completed and thus reassigning needs to happen, and it’s no longer as easy as letting the person in the next cubicle know someone will be out for the day, to answer their phone calls and respond to their messages. Team members must interact in order to work together towards a common goal (Cascio, & Shuryngailo, 2003). The separation by distance and time can often present a barrier. Fortunately, technology advances allow for team members to communicate with each other electronically. In addition, video conferencing has gained momentum given the current situation with even school districts around the globe making use of the different platforms to teach students. Moreover, as leaders we must continue to make use of our abilities to maintain the workforce motivated and working towards the organizational goals while making use of the resources available to use whether it be a phone call, email, video chat or video conferences.  

                    

  And while you might have read this article hoping for some advice, I'm here to tell you, I have none! I'm navigating new territory here, but one thing I will say, hang in there. Enjoy it while it lasts, because as my father used to say, "this too shall pass."

Cascio, W.F., & Shuryngailo, S. (2003). E-leadership and Virtual Teams. Organizational Dynamics. 31 (4) 362-376.  

Darics, E. (2020). E-Leadership or “How to Be Boss in Instant Messaging?” The Role of          Nonverbal Communication. International Journal of Business Communication, 57(1), 3–         29. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.1177/2329488416685068   

Frustrating things managers have to deal with

A few years ago I set out to do some research on what's the most frustrating things managers have to encounter. As a young manager myself, I wanted to know if the issues I was experiencing were something common among others in my position, or was it simply my management style that was causing me to fall into these situations. Let me tell you, that was one heck a quest!

                                              
While it's very easy to find the things that managers can do to frustrate their subordinates, from how to handle an easily frustrated manager, to what are the most annoying things managers do and an endless list of ways to go about "surviving" a bad boss; it takes a few more clicks to find out what frustrates a manager.

After countless hours of research, interviews and observations I was able to come up with 3 things that frustrate managers the most. The worst part of it all, as a manager you are bound to experience each at least once in your career.

The three most frustrating things managers experience are; decisions made by upper management without taking in consideration your input, the bad apple who spoils the barrel, and having a direct report make more money than you do. Depending on what's important for you, one may have a bigger effect on you than the other. 
                                                           


For example, millennials are known for their ambition to grow professionally faster, and with the most monetary reward possible (Barbuto, & Gottfreson, 2016) therefore for a manager in this generation it might be more frustrating to have a direct report who makes more money than him than having to deal with the negative person who's constantly affecting the morale.
However, that's not to say millennials, or anyone for that matter, don't get frustrated with the other issues! 
                                                   

In fact, having upper management make decisions without taking your input into consideration is a very common frustration among managers. Having upper management make decisions that will affect yours and your staff's every day life without consulting you can not only frustrate you, but it also puts you in a tough position having to relay the message of the new change to your staff. In a study conducted by Mohr, & Wolfram (2010) a positive correlation was found between managers who felt low support from their superiors and their levels of irritation. Although, common sense dictates that when decisions are made, those affected by it should have the first voice on the process of decision making, we all know the saying;  'common sense is the least common of the senses.' Many senior managers still make decisions without incorporating staff feedback and usually the middle managers are the ones left to deal with the aftermath, especially when you are having to 'sell' the decision to your team as a good one for the organization when in reality you are very frustrated over it.

                                                            
While you may think that as a boss you will be making more money than those reporting to you,  and trust me, you're not alone in thinking this, as many people share the sentiment, I'm here to tell you from personal experience my friend, that is not correct! In fact, it happens more often than you'd care to think. While the reasons for that may vary by organization and field, a possible reason is the external market value of your skills. What this means is that you possess a special group of skills that facilitated they way for you to reach your current positions, but the same is true for your team members. Depeding on the demand of those skills in your field, you may end up making less than they do. And trust me, signing the performance evaluation for an employee who is making more money than you are is at the top of the most frustrating things as a manager!
                                                           

And last but not least, another frustrating thing managers have to deal with is the negative staff member who no matter what you say or do, will always have something negative to say about it. Fred Lee, in his book; If Disney Ran your Hospital; calls them the woodpeckers (2004).  They are known as woodpeckers because while their pecking may initially seem innocent, it will continue on until at one point it draws a hole in your ship that can threaten to sink it. The frustrating part is as we all know the Department of Labor frowns upon the discharge of an employee for being negative. The quest for collecting the necessary data, and following the appropriate disciplinary process for these individuals can be very frustrating, especially if they perform well otherwise. However,  the consequences of their negativity can be very debilitating for your team's morale

Go ahead tell me what else frustrates you! 

references
Barbuto, J. E., & Gottfredson, R. K. (2016). Human Capital, the Millennial’s Reign, and the Need For Servant Leadership. Journal of Leadership Studies, 10(2), 59–63. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.1002/jls.21474

Lee, F. (2004) If Disney Ran your Hospital. Bozeman, Vt by Second River Healthcare Press. 

Mohr, G., & Wolfram, H.-J. (2010). Stress among managers: The importance of dynamic tasks, predictability, and social support in unpredictable times. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 15(2), 167–179. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.1037/a0018892