Mike, Author at The Third Zone

Mar 23 2021

Getting Back What We Lost with COVID … Proving That Little Things DO Mean A Lot!

Slowly but surely, we are all beginning to know people who have received the COVID vaccine. And after the magic two-week post-vaccination period has passed we are daring to reemerge into our worlds. We are beginning to reclaim what was rather abruptly taken away from us over a year ago. And regardless of how closely one may have followed the recommended protocols to stay safe and avoid the virus, chances are that our day-to-day lives just haven’t been the same.

What appears to be ‘all-of-a-sudden’ we can reengage in simple behaviors that were second nature to us. Seeing a friend and immediately greeting them with a big hug or a handshake seems wonderful and yet awkward. Deciding to go out to a favorite local restaurant for a meal because you wanted to ‘give yourself a break today because you could. Having some friends over for a meal and sitting INSIDE your home while enjoying their company. Who really knew that the things that were a part of our daily lives would every become extinct behaviors? Who knew how or when we would come to see such simple acts as the rarity they became? And who knew that getting these freedoms back would seem like such a noticeably BIG deal?

The things we welcome with open arms

For several months I have addressed various aspects of how this Pandemic impacted us and our individual and collective worlds. And now, we have a vaccine that is available to all who want it within just a very few months. I have wondered what the workplace equivalents are that will be inching their way back into our lives? What are those things that we took for granted … then lost … and really look forward to again being a part of our lives and the ways we live? As it turns out there are many. Here are some simple and little niceties we again get to anticipate and welcome:

Getting to see our work colleagues … in person
Perhaps we work as a part of a project team or we are simply a member of an overall organizational team. Regardless, connection of team members has always been considered beneficial for the bond created and the true sense of common purpose. Working strictly through emails, texts, phones, or virtual zoom style meetings simply doesn’t create or develop the all-important sense of connection.
The regained LITTLE thing having BIG impact:
Regardless of the frequency, what we will get to return to in some form and frequency is being together and so many indicate their #1 desire is to get this back when again safe to do so.
Being able to ‘meet’ with others in the same room … together
The likes of Zoom seemed so nice in the ability it enabled us to SEE our workmates. Yet with the passing months remaining tuned into these meetings became increasingly challenging. Staying focused when also receiving incoming texts and emails wasn’t as easy. Or ignoring other noises emanating from others in our remote work locations was simply difficult. The zooming ‘in’ eventually became a tool that allowed us to zoom ‘out’.

The regained LITTLE thing having BIG impact:
The ability to see, touch and interact with others in the workforce. Although for many, working ‘in the office’ daily may not be the new normal, organizations are designing the way that they can still bring their teams together on occasion be them for planning and implementation sessions.
Going to an office will allow us to differentiate between work and personal time
One of the biggest challenges and complaints when working from home has been a reduced ability for many to separate their two worlds. The lines have become blurred and has increased frustration and unhappiness.
The regained LITTLE thing having BIG impact:
Through 2019, we got up each morning and went to the office. While there we were focused on the various tasks and responsibilities we had leading to success in our jobs and for the team. At day’s end, we returned home and there, were able to pursue other aspects of our lives … some responsibilities and some personal interests. The lines of separation once again become sharper, and we are better able to ‘unplug’
The water cooler provides more than just a drink
Working remotely really mandated that almost all our interactions would be just about the business at hand. What do I need from or provide to you? What are the decisions we need to discuss to allow us to move forward? It was a case of just give me the facts and we’ll both be able to move on.
The regained LITTLE thing having BIG impact:
What did you do this weekend? How is your family doing? Would you like to have lunch or a drink after work? It’s the water cooler that provided such opportunities for exchanges as such. Maybe they didn’t further the project, yet they did build connection and that does contribute to successful joint efforts.
One is a lonesome number
One of the often-heard comments from people who have spent most of the year working remotely is simply being lonesome. We were forced to make this work if we were lucky enough to have work and that’s what many did. But that didn’t translate being happy.
The regained LITTLE thing having BIG impact
Many have come to recognize that working in an environment of solitary confinement is beyond any sense of peace and quiet we crave. We came to appreciate the noise of the office. It was alive and created an energy that translated positively to those of us there and we get that back!

Welcome back after what seems like a very long absence

The above ‘regained’ things address those who have been fortunate enough to be able to work and earn during this pandemic. As life resumes some semblance of normalcy it is expected to open more and more doors to potential employment. Certainly, this is exciting for us, our friends and family and for the world in which we live for which the ‘regain’ stands to be enormous. The reality is that within months we can expect to see welcome change that will bring several ‘little’ things back into our lives. Of course, we took them for granted because they have always been there. Now, going forward I can’t help but believe we will all come to recognize and appreciate them just a bit more. I can’t wait. And you?
Mike Dorman

Mar 10 2021

Not So Fast In a Push to Return to the Normal That Was in Business

As we read of a greater distribution of the COVID related vaccines and more and more people who have received either their first or second doses, the sense of both hope and optimism seem to be growing. We begin to believe that we are on the way to being able to resume our lives as they were one, long year ago. Yet hold on. There are meaningful questions and serious realities that suggest that the ‘normal’ to which we are headed probably will not look much like the normal that many of us envision will return.

No place is this more apparent than in the business world. Whether viewed from either the employer’s or employee’s side, the drive to resume the ‘old’ normal has given way to something new. It’s realized that what was imposed on us had positives. Thus, there is an inclination to take advantages of the resulting learning and experiences and maintain those that we can use to the benefit of all as we reinvent the normal of the future.

The carry-forward learnings that are MISSED in working remotely

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Without question, many studies conducted throughout this past year point to both the advantages and disadvantages to employers and employees who work from residences. As they indicate and regardless of so many organizations reorganizing around what they have learned, there are definite aspects of being ‘in the office’ that are missed.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST EXPRESSED ISSUES

Socialization that occurs with co-workers
Working together under the same roof the ability to easily develop connection with other on both a personal and business-related level. How about lunch … or a cup of coffee … or what did you do this weekend simply aren’t easy or even realistic when the relationship becomes remote.

Having face to face meetings

The likes of zoom have certainly provided the ability to ‘see’ otherS in our meetingS. However, it has not replaced the desire of people to want to sit around a table to discuss and reach solutions or next steps. Remote meetings provide an artificial sense of being together and a formality to discussions that tend to zap energy. And energy is a valued ingredient to reaching decisions that are enthusiastically embraced by ‘the team’.

Having a natural separation of both sides of one’s life … work and home
One gets up in the morning and heads to the office. We walk in that door and our thoughts, plans and efforts are directed toward achieving our intended goals for the day. It’s a structured routine that works for many. In working remotely, it is the responsibility of the worker to create and achieve that same mindset … at home. It’s an acknowledged challenge by many who have experienced this during this past year.

Greater ease in being and feeling productive
Again, it is the structure that going to the office provides that is missed when working remotely. Walking into the office door and sitting at our desk carries with it a mindset as to why we are there. We can immediately attack our ‘to-do’ list intending to leave at day-end feeling accomplished and productive.

Collaboration is simply easier when in the office
It is most common that the work we do is just one piece of the overall project. Ultimate accomplishment of it very often requires collaboration with others in one’s department oR another. The ability to simply converse in person with someone else is often faster and more efficient than the need to use email or phone.
Developing a sense of trust, confidence and belonging is easier at the office

Working together doesn’t make these traits and qualities an automatic given. Rather they are things we tend to develop with time and exposure. Of course, it’s possible in a remote work environment. However, it’s a more natural occurrence and just easier when at the office.

ASPECTS OF REMOTE WORKING THAT ARE WORTH RETAINING

With all the things missed about the inability to go to the office, the remote work environment has provided some very definite and desirable advantages that the emerging ‘new’ normal will include.

The commute

This one is atop the lists of many for the hours per week that employees are forced to make a drive to the office. Especially in larger cities having one’s day consist of an hour or two spent driving between home and office is frustrating and maddening. It’s viewed as a great, yet necessary, waste of time having little of any value. To regain this time in a remote work environment is time that can be used to one’s personal advantage and is a welcome benefit.
The dress code requirements
Although dress codes within the office are somewhat more relaxed in these times the remote worker is prone to taking ‘relaxed’ to a new level. What one is wearing does not carry a guarantee of what is achieved and why not be comfortable. As for a zoom meeting? Stay in your chair and your only concern is how you appear from the waist up. Just don’t stand as favorite sweats probably don’t cut it.

The politics within the office environment
Remotely, office politics aren’t easily expressed or even that evident. The things that often give rise to them i.e., in-person meetings, the water cooler chats diminish both the occurrence and the ease of promoting them.

Office noise and distractions

There is little argument that sitting at one’s desk or cubicle carries with it assorted distractions created by others around. And now, after a year of working remotely and having established a specific work area at home, many have come to appreciate the ability to focus and concentrate without interruption. Therefore, this becomes one more aspect of the experience that many want to retain.

We’ve learned how to be effective at home
Without question, suddenly working remotely from our residence had significant challenges. If other family members we home trying to do their job-related work it was juggling for space. If children were learning remotely it required parental involvement that was clearly disruptive though necessary. Now, one year later, many have carved out their work area. Rules have been established designed to provide the ‘work’ atmosphere needed to be productive. And it appears that efforts are being seriously made to allow children to have ‘in-school’ learning. Thus we have settled into this new structure and able to focus on and be aware of the advantages provided.

Business organizations are beginning to enjoy the anticipated reduction of operational costs related to a remote workforce
Investments involved in helping employees set up their remote work areas have already been made to a large extent. Providing automation and work tool access has happened. This has enabled companies to reduce space and redesign the office around the revamped use that will accommodate occasional meetings and planning sessions going forward.

With each day one can read of organizations who are altering their approach to conducting their businesses. The amount of space they used to occupy is being reduced by many. Existing space is being redesigned to accommodate team members who come together on occasion for key meetings or planning. The investment has been made to allow the employee to successfully function remotely and maintain desired productivity. Computers, access to needed tools, information and workstations all represent a major investment that companies are not so anxious to throw away. At the same time, employees have come to like and even thrive in their remote environments. Thus, all indications are that the normal of our future is going to be a combination of what was, what became and what is now going to be. Who would have ever thought?
Mike Dorman

Feb 23 2021

Effective Communication in A Remote World Must Be Different

For the past year what was considered ‘normal’ in most aspects of our lives flew out the window. In fact, we have spent this time working to understand and adapt to the life we were forced to live. And now … finally … with a vaccine here and real we can begin to dream and envision the ability to resume some recognizable forms of living. Yet this doesn’t mean a return to the normal of our past. In fact, it is fair to anticipate that some of what we have come to know … thanks COVID – 19 … is going to remain as we emerge to yet another ‘normal … by choice.

This is especially apparent in the business world as it relates to finding so many businesses have been forced to operate remotely. Although not by choice or ever anticipated, many organizations have successfully learned how to effectively conduct and thrive in business with a team scattered throughout and among individual residences. This was not an easy transition as viewed from either the management’s or employee’s standpoint. And yet, almost one year later, it appears to have moved from being a temporary need and solution to an ongoing and even preferred method of operating.

KEY ELEMENTS THAT TAKE A REMOTE FORCE FROM JUST OKAY TO SUCCESSFUL

Like any new approach or innovation changes need to be considered and

made to maximize the benefits already being realized. Based on numerous conversations it appears that fine tuning the approach to communication within, among and to a remote workforce is something to begin now. Here are some of the ways to finetune the methods being used that will enhance the emerging reality and effectiveness of a remote workforce going forward:

Embrace the critical importance of ‘trust’ and being ‘trusted
When all were working within the company office it was easy to observe and monitor what it appeared people were doing. They were at their desks or in a meeting and check-ins were readily accessible. The leader could and did observe activity. In this sense it was easy.
Remotely … the visual on an ongoing basis is no longer possible. Letting all know that they are trusted to work effectively and to produce what is required for overall success is key. If an individual is not contributing what the organization or team needs when needed it becomes an issue to be addressed. However, all involved need to operate with the responsibility that being trusted carries.
Establish communication guidelines
In the office environment many approaches to communicating information and messages are rather easily tolerated and work. Some people are wordy in their message while others provide ‘just the facts’. Some are inclined to walk over the another to convey the message and others use the phone, text or email to deliver the communication. Although there are differences in efficiency and effectiveness, they all work … in the office.
Remotely … Streamlining the approach to communication is a critical element of success. In a remote world one cannot simply or easily ask another to explain or to clarify in the moment. Taking the extra time to make certain the communication via any method is clear and concise will enhance the chance of it being received and understood as intended. Whatever the guidelines, they need to be communicated to all with the expectation that they will be followed. Clear and concise communication is a good place to begin. Change is never easy for many and once the new approach is learned and becomes second nature the payoff will be success and appreciation.
Flexibility of work times is a needed recognition and acceptance
The 9 to 5 work schedule and mentality is very much a part of the office environment. Within this structure it is the norm that we show up and leave at certain times on specific days. All that is involved in performing specific jobs generally takes place within these margins.
Remotely … For many, working at home is filled with potential interruptions as related to our total focus on the job. Getting children off to school which will eventually again be the norm now can involve either one or both working parents. Having them return home add an element of distractions that simply can’t easily be ignored. Transporting others to where they need to before various activities can become a part of one’s home-based routine. Thus, although one willingly puts in a full workday, it likely will not happen within the same 9 to 5 time and this new ‘standard’ must be okay.
To micromanage is to work against those on whom one relies for productivity
Of course all managers are not of this category however micromanaging is something that some leaders feel is needed to assure getting desired results. It has much to do with a management style and personality. The degree of how doing this insures or enhances results is questionable and yet, in the office, it is how some oversee and manage.
Remotely … to micromanage is to work against conveying both the trust and flexibility that will contribute to a remote work force success. Having expectations related to productivity continue as appropriate. One’s success in carrying out the responsibilities of their position will have to be judged on timely output.
Effective use of video calls and meetings adapted to the remote workforce
In the office it’s quite easy to walk by a desk or send out an email asking those deemed important to assemble in a conference room at a certain time. Structure related to when a meeting will be held or who is expected to attend or the subject matter to be discussed isn’t often an element that is needed as an absolute.
Remotely … success requires a more consistent and structured approach in a general sense. Setting a specific time daily or weekly to gather and review a project allows the remote team to plan and set aside the specific time. Making certain that those requested to attend are needed due to a contribution they will make or information to be imparted supports all who are working to deliver the desired progress. Having a defined agenda sent out to attendees in advance allow for preparation by all.
Schedule and plan for regular informal ‘social’ times to build connection within the team
In the office, the water cooler is nearby. Getting coffee/water in the lunchroom frequent. Going to lunch with a co-worker is easy. As a result, intermingling with others in the organization can happen multiple times a day or week and does. It’s a form of connection that is important as an organization attempts to build a sense of belonging and alignment within a work family that impacts the attitudes and enthusiasm for the jobs to be achieved.
Remotely … Although working from home has clear-cut advantages for many individuals, there is also a feeling of isolation and aloneness. This can and does impact the energy, enthusiasm and drive to deliver the elements that job success requires. Thus, scheduling a remote form of i.e., let’s go for a drink after work helps to supply some of the interactions and socializing that give balance to our days and to what we deem important in terms of relationship. Being weekly or monthly is less important that making such zoom style gathering a part of the approach and plan.

A REMOTE WORKFORCE IS A CARRYOVER BENEFIT THAT IS EMERGING FROM COVID

In the early months of 2020 there were few is any positives related to the inability to have people come to the office. The rush to provide access to all the needed tools and documents needed to perform the job was a challenge. The need for employees to function ‘at home’ … a home that was often filled with distractions and no clear dedicated workspace was frustrating for sure. And still, a year later, what has been achieved by both the organization and the employee is a desire to carry forward into the new normal the benefits we have learned to really like and enjoy.

Work areas have been created in one’s residence. Routines have been established. Work related tools have been developed and provided. And although change is always a challenge and it appears that for many organizations, some form of a remote workforce is no longer just tolerated … it is an integral and chosen part of the emerging working world.
Mike Dorman

Feb 09 2021

Zoom … the Waning Popularity of Its’ Use in Business and What To Do About It

covid 19 green

About one year ago … with the onset of COVID-19 … it was recognized that this was a for real and profoundly serious pandemic. Organizations of many types and in many fields moved to operate the business in a remote fashion. Rather suddenly, people were told to work from home. These same people scrambled to find a workspace in their residences. Companies feverishly worked to provide them with the tools and access they would need to move forward with the goals and related tasks associated with the organization. One such tool was the likes of Zoom.

Many struggled to be productive and focused while working from home. Of course this was nothing like the more business-like and professional Zoom Logo atmosphere of an office. Zoom seemed like a ‘cure-all’. We may be distanced and yet the likes of Zoom enabled us to connect with our co-workers and teams. It provided the real connection that was missing and that so many needed. With Zoom we could see faces, reactions, chat and above all have connection! Ah … maybe this could work.

Yet here we are … a year after being on this path. And, as it turns out, the positives afforded by Zoom in the early months of this ‘normal’ are clearly on the wane. And because we are still living in a distanced world it seems prudent to consider the advantages still afforded by maintaining remote meetings while we address the negatives that many are experiencing with its’ use and change where needed.

WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT HAVE CAUSED ZOOM FATIGUE?

Let’s explore some of what people are experiencing and complaining about.

When in a remote meeting we lose the ability to ‘read’ the other participants by seeing their verbal and non-verbal ‘clues’. These are things that enable others to gage the overall and specific reactions. Without this it is often presumed that participants agree. This conclusion can lead us down a wrong path which is clearly not desired or an advantage for best outcomes.
Natural conversation and discussions are not realistic and even possible. Participants are generally muted to eliminate background noises and distractions (a dog barking or telephone ringing). Rather
than being able to simply jump into a conversation it requires a more organized approach to offering input. Having people speaking over one another creating frustration and confusion.
Virtual meetings seem to have overtaken other forms of communication … forms that would be more productive, appropriate and time efficient. Users complain that every communication is via the likes of Zoom when a brief follow-up email would provide the update to a project and the decisions made in that meeting. Perhaps what contributes to this is our desire to ‘see’ other human beings … our co-workers even if not necessary.

Too many people are requested to attend a virtual meeting who have little reason to be there. Why does this happen? Is it presumed that because one is working remotely, they have a lot more time? Therefore, they are asked to be in a meeting for no real justification or need for their input? It’s a good question and situation to ponder.

Meeting organizers are scheduling others to attend a remote meeting without concern for their availability at a specific time. Thus, people complain that they are expected to be in a meeting when
they have 1 or 2 others wanting their attendance at the same or overlapping time. As one person indicated … “You should have been looking at calendars before scheduling meetings before we added video … it’s just common sense, and professional” to do this now.

Remaining focused and engaged in a virtual meeting is a challenge. The ability to do so is influenced by the length of the meeting as well as the various distractions that impact your ability to
pay attention. One may find themselves distracted by studying the rooms in which others are sitting during the call … often in their homes. Incoming emails or calls distract even if one can resist looking or responding. Turning off such things while in the meeting offers the likelihood of a shorter and more focused meeting.

Remote meeting formats only intensify the things wrong with meetings in an organization. To the extent an organization calls meetings that appear to be unplanned and unstructured as it relates to agendas and topics the experience is too often very lengthy and time-wasted events. Carry this same approach into a virtual meeting format and it becomes even more-so. Thus, the issues are not with the likes of Zoom. Rather with a disorganized approach to having a meeting at all.

Virtual meetings can and have caused productivity to plummet.
People are calling too many remote meetings when an email or text follow-up would suffice. Or meetings are delayed and extended because of technical connectivity issues and are imposing non-productive and wasted time of those involved.

HOW TO MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVES AND ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVES

you cant rule sign

The above are some of the key experiences that those attending remote meetings are having. These issues have given virtual meeting application a negative rap. And what can be done to resolve these real issues? Like all new innovations whether consciously chosen or imposed on us, we need to learn how to use them effectively. Zoom and its equivalents are no different. However, it will require that organizations seek and listen to those using it and the issues that are real to better define how to employ it to everyone’s best advantage. Zoom fatigue is not something a good night’s sleep will take care of. Yet Zoom is definitely something that can have a positive impact on lives and business success when it is used and applied to work realities.
Mike Dorman

Jan 26 2021

A Revamped ‘Normal’ Requires A Revamped Approach to Doing Business

The words ‘Pandemic’ and ‘COVID’ became new ones in our vocabulary that most of us have never used or thought of. And yet … now a year later after having been clobbered by them … they are front and center for the impact they have had on our lives in so many ways. Perhaps the biggest challenge for all businesses in moving forward is to understand and react to the impact that our new reality is going to have on the customers we want and need.

There have been two potential impacts on organizations. One is a business that has had the good fortune of being one considered to be essential and thus, has been able to thrive during this time. Or there are the businesses that have suffered in ways that have brought great struggles from barely getting by to going out of business. However, regardless of category, ALL businesses in the coming ‘new normal’ are susceptible to ongoing challenge IF they fail to recognize the changes that their customers have undergone. ALL businesses can only count on a rosy future to the extent they understand and anticipate how COVID has impacted and changed the expectations, habits and needs of the very people they count on to do business … the customers.

WHAT ARE THE REALITIES THAT BUSINESSES MUST ACCEPT?

There are several customer realities that will require adaptations in order to attract, retain and satisfy them. The fact is that COVID-19 has had an impact that will last well beyond the distribution of a successful vaccine. It appears that so many have come to realize that the way they lived their lives through 2019 is no longer a requirement to having a happy life. This past year has required changes that many ‘customers’ now say they actually like and appreciate. Here are some thought provoking realities that will need to be seriously considered as businesses of all types as they re-design and prepare for the emerging ‘next normal’.

Discretionary spending is not likely to go back to what it was
Rather, the uncertainty created this past year forced people to budget to a greater extent. It exposed us first-hand to what the lack of a
contingency plan … the ‘what if’ plan … can create. It is anticipated that when COVID is under control later this year many of customers will not easily forget and vow to never be in this same situation again.
Loyalty to specific product brands was relaxed out of absolute need
Often we have certain product brands we have liked and to which we have been loyal. Loyal, that is, until our focus on spending created in a large part by the uncertainty surrounding our lives and livelihoods. This, in turn, inspired a flexibility that was simply necessary. Not only did we find ways to save money … we discovered products that we liked costing less that the cost of blind loyalty.
Trips to our favorite stores or malls gave way to on-line shopping
The advisability for social distancing, the fear of transmission of the virus coming at us and wanting to stay safe in general gave a boon to on-line shopping that made it seem like Christmas every month. And now, with having learned that the process of doing so is efficient coupled with the ability to return unwanted items rather easily this is bound to remain a part of the next normal.
Products and services will need to be altered recognizing the changed customer
Perhaps it means finding less expensive ways to produce the product a
company makes. Perhaps it is creating new products or versions of them that show a recognition of revamped needs or limitations of one’s customers. Only a willingness to do so will increase the likelihood of post-COVID success.
Customers are more cautious. The organization must respect and lead the path
When the company’s customers emerge into this revamped world, the companies need to aggressively make decisions and changes that will allow them to be of the same mindset and drive as their customers. Perhaps they will no longer need the same amount of space from which to operate. Many have already invested in making it possible for the employees to function very effectively from i.e., homes. As such the efficiencies have already been proven and in many cases the employees have become more productive.

HOW MUST BUSINESSES MOVE FORWARD TO REMAIN VIABLE?

Here is the point. All indications are that we are headed toward a revamped sense of normal. We can wish for ‘yesterday’ to return allowing us to just live as we have been used to living. Yet, it’s quite clear that this will remain a wish never to be realized. Just as COVID-19 pitched the world from all vantage points into uncharted waters, the organizations that approaches them with a true spirit of reinvention is doing what needs to be done if they are to remain viable in the world of our future.

Today, in January of the new year, the pandemic is not finished. In fact, it’s

rearing its’ head to heights beyond what we have experienced last year. Still, the development of a protective treatment in the form of a vaccine represents a light at the end of this lengthy and dark tunnel. Any business plan developed for this year is going to need to be dynamic in nature if it is to have true meaning. It must continue to change as any organization sees and experiences the twists and turns that are bound to continue for much of the year. Companies must outmaneuver uncertainty by course correcting, again and again as circumstances change. This requires them to reassess assumptions, re-evaluate scenarios and strengthen their ability to sense and respond.
Mike Dorman

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