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