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As organizations adapt to new working conditions and a period of unprecedented crisis, KPMG has put forward recommendations for leaders to manage their business and maintain productivity during this period.
According to the firm, leadership across Australia is now being put to the test, while also providing an opportunity for them to demonstrate their leadership skills. Visible violation of personal life has already been detailed by experts and KPMG has now focused on the changing workplace environment.
Ensuring survival in a challenging economic climate is one thing, but leaders also need to ensure that the productivity of their workforce remains intact. Managing this scope of tasks requires a clear strategy and a different way of looking at and overseeing performance management.
“Working remotely doesn’t necessarily lead to more focused time, especially when your diary is full of virtual meetings. Add kids to the mix due to school closings and it can seem impossible to get things done. While this can be overwhelming for individual leaders, as well as for leaders trying to maintain a high-performing team, there are areas where you can direct effort and attention to give your organization the best chance of maintaining productivity,” he writes. KPMG in your report.
A Big Four accounting and consulting firm has developed a set of tools that leaders can consult as they choose a way forward. According to the company, the workforce should come first. Keeping people in touch with the organization’s goals through clear and frequent communication is key, as is maintaining morale.
A significant challenge is the new “work from home” arrangement that most organizations are adopting, where leaders must rely on technology to communicate and maintain a coherent strategy within their team. KPMG refers to this challenge as “sustaining performance in a virtual environment” and has set out a framework for managing these objectives.
Sustaining performance in a virtual environment has six dimensions. Clarity of expectations is high on this list, which involves constantly reassessing expectations in light of evolving circumstances, with employees always having a clear idea of their delivery goals.
The second dimension is the exploration of performance at a distance. Part of this is the regular control of outputs, while according to KPMG human management also plays a role. Routines such as “regular conversations with each individual to discuss and provide feedback on performance” are key, as is connecting with employees to check how they are coping with new working conditions.
Closely related to this is the third dimension, which is increasing motivation among employees. Strategies for this include, among others, organizing virtual social interaction to boost morale, set motivational goals, and strike a balance between control and autonomy. KPMG suggests that leaders can keep their productivity high during this period to set an example for employees.
The fourth dimension is more practical and involves ensuring that all digital means of communication and coordination are in place. Digital channels such as Skype, Zoom and Facetime are examples of this essential infrastructure and have skyrocketed in popularity in recent weeks.
KPMG’s fifth dimension for sustaining performance in a virtual environment is the development of new support mechanisms, not only in terms of professional support from managers and colleagues, but also in terms of emotional support and well-being as employees adapt to remote work.
The sixth and final dimension relates to skills and abilities. This is about ensuring that employees and managers have the skills and resources to achieve their goals through the new work arrangements that have been introduced.
Once the workforce is managed, the next three priorities for leaders become their clients, their context and themselves, according to KPMG. This includes checking in with clients and ensuring continuous channels of communication with them, monitoring contextual developments including the progress of Covid-19 and the state of the government’s response, and leaders’ efforts to maintain their own physical and mental health.
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