Right Fit Leading: COVID and Telework, Part 3

In Part 2, the discussion focused on using best practices in standards and team building and following LMX theory. This relationship-based approach is useful because collaborative interactions and adjustments to new or distributed operations are happening in the workplace every day. Companies are trying to determine what “back to work” should look like, and workers are trying to take advantage of the positive work life changes they found in COVID.

As the workplace changes, it is important to pay attention to trustworthiness and performance as they relate to telework. Trustworthiness is the quality of a person, or a thing, that inspires reliability. When it exists, behaviors like being respectful, honest, consistent, positive, and selfless will be evident.

Success will require managers who can admit mistakes, acknowledge weakness, applaud strength, and help each other, and who can promote those qualities in employees. This will build mutual trust, which is important because everyone has a lot at stake based on risks inherent in trusting another person. Those risks are about putting one’s faith or a pending decision in the hands of someone in whom you have not yet developed confidence, or in whom there are limits to that confidence.

Managers who follow telework policies developed in response to COVID-19 are building trust. Trust can then grow as emotions are shared and real issues are addressed professionally.

NOTES: I offer this series to help leaders and members reinforce what we know, discover what we do not know, and identify what we should ask questions about. The results are intended to assist everyone to deal with positive and negative aspects of telework. This series is my educational journey that I hope is valuable to you.