Do you remember coloring with crayons in school? I do. Specifically, I remember thinking the pictures were just ideas/suggestions and would color all around them.
Well, that was until I realized that I was the only one doing it that way.
What did I do? I went home and told my mother, who told me not to worry about it and then showed me how to use my box of crayons in a way that worked for me.
I learned that there is more than one way to color. Some people would take their Crayolas and outline and shade. Dina (our marketing guru) told me she would mix crayons and make new colors. So many different people and so many ways to tackle the same thing.
Of course, we all need to be mindful and appreciate those with differences, as they can often develop unique solutions. Yes, every individual is different and uses different styles to express their ideas. However, as managers, we need to help our employees navigate and adapt despite those differences.
If we have learned anything from Covid, it’s that what we thought were the lines are really just marks on a single piece of paper. So instead, perhaps we need to look at the whole ream and create new parameters that we would never have previously considered.
For example, let’s take Telework policies. We would always include that you must have childcare and that you needed to work regular business hours. However, with schools going virtual, child care centers closing on and off, quarantines, etc., those “lines” don’t work anymore. And it’s not teleworking. It is “work from home,” and in many cases, it’s “work whenever you can get things done.”
Do your policies reflect the current reality? If not, we contact us for help.
-Eileen
