It’s not you, it’s me. The great WFH break up.

It’s not you, it’s me.

The phrase sometimes heard when relationships are breaking down. Now read on…..

Working from home or WFH as it has affectionately become know is hitting the headlines at the moment.

During the Covid 19 pandemic when there was little other option than to WFH, organisations were praising their staff for adapting so quickly to the new environment but that seems now to have changed, in some quarters at least. Some employees are being accused of failing to deliver, having long lunch breaks and falling behind with their work.

I think the problem is a jolt to the system for many managers. I truly believe that the culture shift towards more flexible working arrangements both in terms of time and location would have happened anyway but probably over a 10 year period rather than just over 18 months.

In so many instances the jobs you would have said couldn’t be done remotely has proved to be incorrect. The very people being criticised now are the ones who went above and beyond and made it work in circumstances none of us would have imagined in 2019.

Communication is going to be key moving forward. With labour shortages, hybrid / flexible working is an attractive proposition for many new employees. Change has to be embraced and trust placed in teams and individuals to deliver.

If things aren’t working, communicate and communicate some more. Find out what the real issue is. More often than not, it’s systems and processes rather than a lack of commitment and willingness to make things work.

If trust is missing the first step should be to turn the mirror on yourself and ask why? So remember it’s not you, it’s me.