In March when a national emergency was declared for Covid 19 and all but essential workers transitioned to working from home there was great excitement of a new norm that could liberate bosses and workers.
That’s not what’s happening.
A study published in Harvard Business Review finds managers aren’t confident in their ability to effectively do their jobs, and don’t have much confidence in the abilities of their staff.
Staff doesn’t have a lot of confidence in their manager’s ability to lead and say they don’t feel trusted.
“Any time we are tossed into a new situation it is very natural for every participant to find themselves in uncomfortable waters,” workplace culture expert Cheri Perry tells KTRH News. No one took a college class on how to work remotely during a pandemic and while it has become an overused cliche to say, we truly are all in this together, trying to find where equilibrium rests in that new norm. Both managers and their staff are often eyeing one another critically, uncertainly, and with less trust, the survey finds. “Any kind of shift requires a certain measure of grace,” adds Perry. “So if you’re an employee don’t expect perfection out of your boss and if you’re a boss don’t expect perfection out of your employee.”
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