SELF-MANAGEMENT AND THE WORKFLOW: BETTER REMOTE WORK

The 2020s will be remembered as a decade when many people switched to remote work. As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to make a quick transition to working from home, managing one’s own work, and coping with the demands of the situation has proved to be challenging for many people. Renewal and the development of professional competence can also feel difficult when you work remotely.

Sparring focused on the flow of work helps people clarify their duties, create structure in daily life, increase their resilience and rediscover potentially lost motivation in the chaos of daily life.

“The old approaches to work and management are no longer effective. Technology is a good servant but a poor master. Endless series of Teams meetings have a tendency of narrowing an organization’s culture of discussion. In that context, it is important for everyone to actively seek interfaces in order to be seen and genuinely heard. The management also needs to take an active role in building a strong sense of community,” Minnariikka Rajala says.

“Our coaching is focused particularly on eliminating obstacles to efficient work. This not only supports the trainees’ ability to cope with the stresses and challenges, but it also helps them achieve business goals in the new circumstances of daily work.

PROBING AND BEST PRACTICES

The coaching starts with a virtual group meeting attended by all of the participants. The topics covered include themes related to self-management and how to build the best possible approach to remote work for each participant.

In larger organizations, the assessment of the initial situation can also be supported by probing: the Delficon Insight tool uses artificial intelligence to establish a clear view of the organization’s mood and language.

SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGES

The initial group meeting is followed by individual coaching sessions. This makes it possible for the coaching sessions to be geared towards the individual needs of each participant. The themes addressed can include establishing a clearer understanding of one’s own role and duties, goal-driven action in daily life, supporting success, self-management, and professional development.

“The one-on-one meetings provide an opportunity to discuss the obstacles to success or coping at work. This is easier when you are talking to an external coach,” Rajala points out.
“Sparring helps establish a more structured understanding of one’s actions and limits before stress and fatigue become too much to deal with. The goal is to empower the participants, help them focus on what is important and rediscover the joy of work.”

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY CAN BE BUILT

The shift to remote work also creates new challenges for management: an organization can only be successful if the management can genuinely bring people together.

The management’s coaching includes creating a roadmap to the future. Working on strategy and values creates the foundation for a strong sense of community and enhancing the employee experience. An individual analysis of management style helps establish an understanding of each individual’s strengths related to leadership and the execution of strategy.

“Building a strong sense of community is more challenging when people work remotely. Nevertheless, it is something that should be consciously focused on: when people feel that they are genuinely cared about, their commitment increases and everybody wins,” Minnariikka Rajala says.

“When the obstacles to work are eliminated, energy begins to flow, leading to better performance and better results.”