The Fear of Loss of Control

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The fear, the paranoia is that how can I lead people or lead an organization where I don't see them on a regular basis? How do we make sure that people learn the questions around virtual onboarding or nonstop? People worry about that. But ultimately, it's the fear of loss of control. All or nothing is easy. Hybrid, which is the gray zone, is scary. That's where this problem lies. It's so interesting how even though that research has been so consistent for so many decades now, really, what do you think about it?

Tsedal Neeley: Remote Work Revolution Tsedal Neeley is a professor at the Harvard Business School. Her work focuses on how leaders can scale their organizations by developing and implementing global and digital strategies. She has published extensively in leading scholarly and practitioner-oriented outlets and her work has been widely covered in media outlets such as the BBC, CNN, Financial Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. She was named to the Thinkers50 On the Radar list for making lasting contributions to management and is the recipient of many other awards and honors for her teaching and research. She is the author of Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere*. In this conversation, Tsedal and I explore what the research shows us about productivity and fear around remote work. We highlight three key principles that leaders can lean in on in order to engage remote teams better. Plus, Tsedal provides practical examples on how almost any leader can put these principles into action. Key Points The research has been clear for decades that employees are more productive working remotely. Surveillance software and services are almost always a poor direction for leaders and organizations. Leaders should structure unstructured time for informal interactions — and should be the ones who initiate these conversations. Emphasize individuals and individual differences, even more so than you might in person. Avoid referring to people by their membership in subgroups. In addition to not shutting down conflict, leaders in remote settings need to force it, so the best ideas can emerge on the team. Resources Mentioned Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere* by Tsedal Neeley Tsedal Neeley’s website Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) Transitioning to Remote Leadership, with Tammy Bjelland (episode 509) The Way Out of Major Conflict, with Amanda Ripley (episode 529) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.