#9 The "Evolution" of Organisations in Times of Pandemic
In the last few days the following joke was shared with me on the social networks:
Who accelerated the digital transformation in your company?
a) The IT team
b) The CEO
c) The CTO
d) Covid 19
e) The Agile team
In addition to smiling, we can also reflect a little on the implementation of new technologies in organisations, particularly with regard to Teleworking.
Organisational change processes are extremely difficult to implement due to a wide variety of factors, one of the most studied being people's resistance to change. To change, even for the better, implies going to an unknown area, losing control of something we dominate, and this loss of control is a generator of anxiety. With many interpersonal variations, one can, however, identify a generalised resistance to organisational change that increases with age. When we talk about changes that imply the introduction of new technologies, the resistance is even greater due to the feeling of info-exclusion of some workers or even leaders.
For at least two decades, CEO's, GRH, CTO's of some organisations, whose sector of activity allows it, have been considering the introduction of teleworking, at least one to two days a week. In other situations, it is the employees themselves who propose to carry out some activities in teleworking and it is the company's managers or directors themselves who resist the employee working from home, demanding his physical presence in the workplace at the stipulated time.
As for the benefits of teleworking we can specify in terms of benefits related to the organisation, benefits related to the employee and benefits related to the society. With regard to benefits relating to the organisation, allowing a reduction in the density of people in the organisation by freeing up space, the company benefits in terms of lower costs in fixed installations (offices, shared spaces). Higher levels of productivity are also expected, as well as lower levels of absenteeism. The organisation would also have employees who would otherwise be unable to work in traditional locations.
From the employee's point of view, he or she could benefit from time savings on travel to work, greater flexibility in managing work-family relations, greater flexibility of timetables, which gives them a better quality of life. For certain functions, such as those requiring long periods of uninterrupted concentration, such as writing, the process is highly advantageous.
Society also benefits from teleworking because it results, for example, in a reduction in car traffic and flights, and as a consequence lower levels of pollution, less fuel expenditure and higher environmental quality.
Apparently we are facing a win-win situation where all parties - organisations, employees and society - benefit from this situation. But resistance continues, as the implementation of new technologies always raises, among many others, the question of not having the necessary skills to deal with new technologies, the fear of job losses and the fear of loss of control.
In a people-centred approach, the emphasis is on the need to develop technologies to complement human capabilities rather than replace or complicate them.
For this implementation of the technologies to be successful it is necessary to have highly skilled, flexible, committed and prepared employees for innovation.
In a pandemic situation, of course, the circumstances are quite different. There is a threatening public health situation and an intense economic, political and social crisis, which greatly increases people's levels of anxiety. For example, with the closure of schools, employees who have children at home and are teleworking have increased work and dispersion, as well as stress and probably lower productivity levels.
Many workers are currently teleworking to which they have had to adapt in many cases overnight. And they have adapted! Certainly some with more, others with less ease. Ah! But it's not the same! There's nothing like the face-to-face! No, it's not the same thing. For example, teleworkers stay away from team spirit and stay away from colleagues in the office, the teacher cannot establish the same level of contact, the same style of relationship with students, the same eloquence in class. I agree, it's not the same thing! But it allows us to function properly in certain situations and can even prove highly advantageous. This is exactly what we are experiencing in these times of isolation. Technologies were one of the ways we weren't so isolated, to be able to share affections, music, restlessness. Of some sectors of the economy being able to function, of some services still being provided. In the specific case of universities it has allowed us to give classes to our students and to them to attend our classes. It is not the same! No, it is not and we are already getting a little tired of seeing ourselves at Zoom, because it requires much more attention and concentration. By not having context clues we use less heuristic processing of information and we have to use more systematic processing overloading the cognitive work of our brain. We also miss the classroom and face-to-face contact. Without a doubt, the University without students does not make any sense, the image of the empty Campus is desolating and reminds us that students are the meaning of our existence as Professors! However, the online classes and the support to all academic activity using the technologies was very useful, it was even, in some cases, an experience of overcoming and developing, a very rewarding experience (according to the report of many colleagues with whom I have spoken). We have more assiduous and punctual students and in some cases it was noticeable a greater appreciation of the classes, both on the part of professors and students, allowing beyond the learning of contents to attenuate the effects of isolation.
In situations of change there is always something we have gained and something we have lost, it is up to us to focus on the positive aspects, on what has improved with change and not to get stuck with what has been lost and left in the past. To focus, to increase the clarity, to become aware of what good the change has brought us. It is about focusing on what is positive that is bringing us the present and that will bring us the future and blur a little of what we have lost. A little, enough not to become unrealistic and fall into the joyful goofing that would only lead us, among other things, - to losses in productivity and a reduction in the quality of work - to ignore the fact that we need to get involved in solving problems that will arise.
But how can we achieve this awareness and focus on the positive aspects if our brain, from the very beginning, is prepared to detect danger, that which could go wrong and is threatening? Can we educate our brain? Yes, we can try to counteract this natural tendency through a consciousness taking, helped by some specific exercises that if we are committed and persistent can bring us very encouraging results. I leave you with some examples of positive interventions, proposed by Martin Seligman, the "father" of positive psychology, which you can use in times of pandemic.
- Three blessings exercise. It aims to counter the tendency of our brain to focus on what can go wrong and re-educate attention to the positive. It consists of every night, before going to bed, writing three good things that went well and giving thanks. These things can be small and common in importance. Think about why that good thing happened.
- Gratitude visit. A gratitude visit is a psychological exercise in which we must identify someone who has had a significant impact on our life, express our gratitude in a letter and deliver the letter personally (when possible).
- Identify your strengths (positive strengths, virtues) and use them in a new way.
Leonor Almeida,
Organisational Psychologist, Professor at FCH-Católica,
Coordinator of Post-graduate studies in Communication and Positive Psychology and Advanced Training in Emotional Intelligence