Jim Harter, Chief Scientist for Workplace at Gallup and author of bestselling books on management, tackles the pressing challenges of hybrid and remote work. He discusses key questions managers should ask to enhance employee autonomy and connection, like the best environments for productivity. Harter highlights cultural shifts towards remote dynamics and the vital role of strong management in fostering team engagement. He emphasizes the importance of understanding individual strengths and promoting open communication to navigate the evolving work landscape.
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insights INSIGHT
Work From Home Trends
In 2019, less than 5% of U.S. employees worked from home, which has increased significantly since then.
Working from home isn't new; it was the norm before the Industrial Revolution.
insights INSIGHT
Return-to-Office Predictions
Many leaders predicted a return to 90% on-site work, but this hasn't happened.
Remote work preferences have changed significantly.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Balancing Individual and Team Needs
Consider individual performance and team collaboration when deciding where to work.
Prioritize team discussions on work location for increased engagement.
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It's the Manager offers insights into transforming management practices to meet the demands of the modern workforce. Based on Gallup's extensive research, the book highlights the importance of managers acting as coaches rather than traditional bosses, focusing on developing strengths and creating a purpose-driven work environment. It provides actionable strategies for improving workplace culture and employee engagement.
Wellbeing at Work
Jim Harter
Jim Clifton
Wellbeing at Work explores the five key elements of wellbeing—career, social, financial, physical, and community—and provides strategies for organizations to support these elements. The book emphasizes the importance of managers in fostering a culture of resilience and thriving teams, especially in times of global health and economic crises. It offers actionable advice based on Gallup's extensive research.
Culture Shock
An unstoppable force is changing how we work and live. Gallup's solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time.
Jim Harter, Ph.D.
Jim Clifton
The book explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has structurally changed how people work and live, emphasizing that nothing will return to normal. It highlights the challenges organizations face in adapting to this new reality, particularly in maintaining employee loyalty and customer relationships. The authors provide insights and solutions for leaders to navigate these changes effectively, focusing on higher productivity, customer retention, and wellbeing.
Jim Harter: Culture Shock
Jim Harter is Chief Scientist for the Workplace at Gallup. He has led more than 1,000 studies of workplace effectiveness, including the largest ongoing meta-analysis of human potential and business unit performance. He's the bestselling author of 12: The Elements of Great Managing, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, Wellbeing at Work and the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller It’s the Manager.
Jim has also published articles in many prominent business and academic journals. He's also the author now of Gallup's book with Jim Clifton titled Culture Shock: An unstoppable force is changing how we work and live. Gallup’s solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time*.
Virtually every professional team is navigating some aspect of return to office and how that works best for their organization. In this conversation, Jim and I highlight the key findings from Gallup that have emerged in the data since the pandemic started. Plus, we explore the questions that managers can ask in order help this transition work better for everyone.
Key Points
Managers should consider these key questions to help employees and teams move towards smart autonomy:
Which parts of your job can you do best at home?
Which parts of your job can you do best at the office?
When have you created exceptional value for our customers?
When do you feel most connected to our organization’s culture?
In addition:
Less than 5% of people in the United States worked from home in 2019. Today the number is six times larger and nearly seven in 10 full-time employees in the United States prefer some type of remote work arrangement.
Number of days in the office is important, but matters less than other factors. Most associated with high levels of employee engagement is the practice of a work team deciding together (the option companies used the least).
Splitters and blenders represent two different ways of approaching work and the populate tends to divide equally on this preference (even across generations). Knowing where people land will help engage them better in the workplace.
Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. A key habit for a manager is one meaningful conversation per week with each employee.
Less important is the time of interaction and more important it the quality. Smaller amounts of time discussion recognition, goals, and strengths can be more impactful than more time that doesn’t do this.
Resources Mentioned
Culture Shock: An unstoppable force is changing how we work and live. Gallup’s solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time* by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
Gallup Findings on the Changing Nature of Work, with Jim Harter (episode 409)
How to Engage Remote Teams, with Tsedal Neeley (episode 537)
Effective Hybrid Team Management, with Hassan Osman (episode 570)
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