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Hybrid working
"Leadership is above all communication"
by Stefan Weber

Hybrid forms of work place new demands on senior managers. Dr Josephine Hofmann, Deputy Head of the Business Development and Work Design segment at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering in Stuttgart, explains which skills are important now and which mistakes should be avoided.

Dr Josephine Hofmann, Deputy Head of the Corporate Development and Work Design business segment at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering in Stuttgart. one: The pandemic has made flexible forms of work a matter of course in a short space of time. Many companies appreciate the increased flexibility, sustainability and productivity of virtual working. Employees welcome the improved opportunities to reconcile work and family life. How will the world of work settle down "after corona"? Will there be a return to the office?
Dr Josephine Hofmann:
In the long term, hybrid concepts with a mix of face-to-face and virtual forms of work will continue to exist where the activities allow it due to their digital nature. The pandemic has led to a permanent change in perspective in a short space of time. It should be noted that corona is not the trigger, but merely an amplifier of change processes that we have been observing for a long time: the trend towards a knowledge society, changing expectations of young employees in terms of flexibility, compatibility, participation and shared responsibility, rapid digitalisation and an increasing demand for agile processes.

one: These are all developments that also entail changing forms and role models in leadership.
Josephine Hofmann
: That's right: moving away from the hierarchical, controlling management behaviour that used to be the norm and towards a steering, accompanying and delegating approach. Leadership based on ideas, inspiration and development support - that perhaps sums it up quite well.

one: This places new demands on senior managers. However, given the speed at which the pandemic is transforming ways of working, they don't have much time to develop new skills. What is particularly important now?
Josephine Hofmann
: Above all, leadership is about communication. But if I no longer meet my team in person every day, it becomes more difficult to know how employees are doing, whether they are coping with their work, where there are problems and, yes, whether they are feeling good personally. This is especially true for team members who communicate less of their own accord. So as a senior manager, I have to change my communication behaviour. I need to become much more active and speak to team members more often, even without a technical reason, in order to gauge moods and express appreciation. It's also good to set up a time slot in which senior managers are available to everyone, whether by phone or video conference. In times of face-to-face work, it was often said: "My door is always open". This can no longer be realised in this form today.

„In the long term, hybrid concepts consisting of face-to-face and virtual forms of work will continue to exist where activities permit.“
Josephine Hofmann

one: Active communication requires a lot of time and skills that may not be available to everyone.
Josephine Hofmann
: Not everyone is equally good at communication. But this skill can be trained, at least to some extent. And as far as time is concerned: Yes, management work in the virtual working world requires a greater time commitment. Many of those affected, especially in middle management, complain that they don't have this time and are not given it. I think that's a big problem. Employers need to reorganise tasks, give people more freedom and adapt evaluation systems for senior managers. Far too often, it's all about fulfilling traditional performance indicators such as revenue and earnings. And middle managers in particular still do a lot of the hard work. It's time to look at new criteria beyond the hard figures.

one: Such "soft" factors may be less easy to measure.
Josephine Hofmann:
We don't have much experience with this, at least not yet. But you could, for example, look at how many team members regularly undergo further training. Or what the sickness rate is like in the department. Sometimes a lot of absences are an indication that the workload is too high. Addressing such issues at all - in a discussion between the manager and the next higher manager - and thus emphasising their relevance is already an important step.

one: What other skills are required in the hybrid working world, apart from good communication skills?
Josephine Hofmann
: The ability to give and receive trust is very important. This is a complex skill that is not so easy to learn. But if there are fewer personal encounters, there is also less control possible. Senior managers therefore need to place more trust in the motivation and commitment of their team members and let them work more on their own. Trust needs to grow, but it also needs a good dose of trust in advance. And, very importantly, trust-based work only works in a corporate culture that also forgives mistakes and does not immediately threaten sanctions if something does not work out.

„Trust-based work only works in a corporate culture that also forgives mistakes.“
Josephine Hofmann

one: Colleagues who were already on board before the pandemic may have an easier time than new team members, as they can draw on much greater social capital. They regularly saw each other in person "before corona".
Josephine Hofmann:
New employees are often quick to leave if they feel that they don't fit in properly at their workplace and in the team. This can only be countered with communication and very consciously organised virtual and physical encounters and activities. Senior managers must create opportunities to engage in dialogue with employees. Remote leadership is more than just conducting meetings online. Team members can only feel that they are recognised and valued if they are approached in person. It's a fatal mistake to think that if I don't hear from my people, everything will be fine.

one: The ability to communicate and trust, skills that are particularly in demand in the hybrid working world, were not previously among the primary selection criteria for senior managers. Does this mean that those who don't change will find it difficult to make a career?
Josephine Hofmann
: It's the same as always: if things are in demand that I don't have, I either have to make an effort and catch up. Or I come to terms with the fact that I'm no longer suitable for certain tasks. But there is still a long way to go before these selection criteria become primary.

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