2020 is Changing Our World in Lasting Ways – Guest Blogger Linda Kingman

Even though we’re only halfway through the year, we can expect 2020 to go down in history as a year of tremendous challenges and changes, a year that shook our way of life, our ways of working, our family, business and social relationships and our attitudes toward institutions like healthcare and law enforcement.

The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer – and the civil unrest that followed – will have lasting effects on people’s attitudes, feelings and mindsets as well as their values and beliefs.

Leaders: Listen More Now Than Ever Before

Some leaders consider listening a soft skill (maybe even overrated), others may consider themselves good listeners, and some know it’s a skill they need to work on. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, one thing is certain: a big part of your job right now is to listen.

Part of what’s changed as we all live through the COVID-19 outbreak and civil unrest is the urgent need for leaders to listen to their employees and understand the challenges they face as they deal with today’s uncertain and ever-changing situation.

Listening is One of the Most Important Things You Can Do Right Now

The Workplace is Changing and Your Company Culture Should, Too

“We were able to do in days what would have taken years.” I’ve heard this often lately.

I’m in awe of how employers and employees have stepped to the plate to do amazing things… shifting business plans in days, reinventing ways of working, and turning “we could never” into “we can and did.”  In many ways, though, the hard work is just beginning. We’re entering a new stage of navigating through change when fatigue sets in and a company’s culture is tested.

Use of Surveillance Software During COVID-19 Is a Big Mistake

One of the newest employer trends to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is the increased use of surveillance software to track employees’ daily activity while they work at home. The programs often include webcams that take regular images of employees during work hours. The software may also nudge employees who step away from their laptops, warning them to get back to work within a minute or be marked as off-task.

This trend reminds me of a game we used to play as kids – “king of the hill.” I can still remember the kid who was insistent on being the king of the hill in our sixth-grade class. That boy relished his sense of control, seeking power over the rest of us. I probably remember him so well because, as a lanky and uncoordinated boy myself, I had a permanent spot at the bottom of the hill. I wasted some time trying to work myself up until I realized I needed to be far away from that hill and pave my own path.

12 Tips for Effectively Managing Your Workforce Through COVID-19 and Beyond

Employee preferences for working from home and demands for increased flexibility result in growing pressure for employers to rethink the future world of work

2020 will be remembered for many things, including a once unimaginable shift of employees from being mostly on-site to working from home. And across a variety of industries – technology, banking and finance, sales, consulting, and beyond – employers are dramatically changing their views about work-from-home arrangements.