Page 32 - FDI Alliance International Magazine. Spring 2021 Digital Interactive Issue

Knowing this, how can we offer a work environment that will promote the non-verbal cues, a manager providing prompt feedback can help employees
satisfaction of all employees, no matter where they work? As you can imagine, feel competent.
there is no "one size fits all" solution. Yet, the SDT model can serve as a compass to
effectively navigate through current and upcoming work reorganizations. 3. Formalize informal interactions
In the hybrid working models, some geographically dispersed teams
Here are tips around the three psychological needs to help promote autonomous (or even collocated ones) may very rarely synchronize their days in the office.
motivation in the new hybrid model: This means that teams will often be split. Employees working in the office may
FULFILLING EMPLOYEES’ NEEDS FOR THE HYBRID 1. Support employees’ autonomy through flexibility and bond together more easily, and remote workers may miss out on those informal
interactions. Therefore, to avoid the creation of out-groups, teams will have to be
WORKING MODELS OF TOMORROW empowerment deliberate about creating opportunities for social connectedness.
Future work models should be driven by choice and autonomy around
when, where, and how to work. One way to achieve this would be to design Managers should hold periodic meetings with team members to identify
a framework for hybrid work. For example, employees could be asked to ways in which they can meet their needs for relatedness. Some teams may
perform collaborative tasks face-to-face (project kick-off, team building), decide to dedicate the first portion of a weekly touchpoint on informal
and to come in the office at least five days per month. This offers flexibility, chitchat, while others may set specific days to work in the office, or organize
In the past decade, organizations have been embracing teleworking, demonstrated its association with positive outcomes such as greater performance, but still within organizational boundaries. team building activities. Connection is a shared responsibility; teams should
although at varying levels. For some, it was a way to access talent and reach engagement, work satisfaction, and well-being . We should do everything in feel autonomous in choosing strategies that best fit their needs and context.
clients around the globe. For others, working from home was considered a our power to promote it. Another way to promote autonomy is through leadership . When asked
privilege, a reward for high performing and reliable employees. The abrupt about his thoughts on leadership, Bill Gates once said, “As we look ahead into In conclusion, the pandemic has been, among other things, an experiment
closure of many offices in the spring of 2020 has greatly accelerated the There are three key ingredients for autonomous motivation to the next century, leaders will be those who empower others”. Empowerment on teleworking. It marked a shift in the way we work, and we are now presented
trend towards teleworking. More so, it marked an important shift in the way emerge: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Think about requires managers to have a clear understanding of which responsibilities, with an exciting opportunity to re-invent work models. Given our evolving context,
a large segment of the workforce will operate in the future. a moment in your professional career when you felt your best. tasks or projects they can delegate to team members. While they are one thing that will remain constant is that we can foster an environment that
Chances are: responsible to define the ‘’why” (or purpose) of a delegated task, they should will help satisfy individuals’ basic psychological needs. We can set ourselves
Even with the vaccine creating hope for a safe return to the traditional workplace, trust their employees to define the “how”. SDT research has demonstrated up for long term success by having employees autonomously motivated
teleworking is here to stay. Top consulting firms predict that the future of work will • you felt in the driver’s seat when it came to work, you were that when employees are provided with a rationale for doing a task, when to deliver high performance, while enjoying greater well-being. This is the
most likely be hybrid. Yet, what hybrid means will vary from one company to the able to speak up and make your own choices (autonomy); they feel that their perspectives have been acknowledged and when they workforce of the future.
next. For example, some organizations may allow part of their workforce to work are given some choice about how to do it, they feel more autonomously
from home full time, while others may require employees to work from the office • you were confident in your ability to meet challenges and motivated . Research Link
take on ambitious projects (competence);
for a specific number of days per week or per month. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244020985516
• you were connected to your colleagues and manager, you 2. Rethink learning and development
The shift to hybrid working models will require preparation, such as creating felt like you belonged (relatedness). Feeling competent requires having the knowledge, skills, support, and
new policies and deploying technologies to support both remote and opportunities to perform challenging tasks. Learning and development (L&D)
office workers. A crucial part that cannot be overlooked is employees’ can help create conditions that will promote the satisfaction of employees’
psychological well-being. To get the best results, employees will need to be ■ THE THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS CAN BE FULFILLED NO need for competence.
on board and motivated to embody this change. The principles of human MATTER WHERE YOU WORK
motivation have not been altered by mask wearing or social distancing and In the research I conducted with Professor Eric Brunelle from HEC Montreal, we Hybrid working models call for hybrid L&D approaches. While formal
do not need reinventing. Even better, they can serve as a useful guide to compared 237 office workers to 211 remote workers in an IT consulting firm and learning (webinars, E-learning, readings) can be done remotely, a face-
ensure employees remain optimally motivated during this turmoil, therefore found that teleworking is a better way of meeting employees’ psychological to-face setting would be optimal for peer learning, coaching, mentoring,
promoting sustained performance and well-being. needs . In other words, remote workers felt more autonomous, competent, and other on-the-job experiences. Because face-to-face communication
and connected with their colleagues than those working in a face-to-face is richer, it should be leveraged at times where the learning curve is the
■ THE SCIENCE BEHIND MOTIVATION setting. We believe remote workers did not experience social isolation steepest. For example, employees would benefit from working in the office
According to research conducted on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), motivation because the organization offered resources and put in place practices to during onboarding to have easier access to their manager and colleagues,
can vary both in quantity and quality. A carrot-and-stick approach can motivate promote social connectedness. and to get a better feel of the company’s culture.
action. However, rewards, deadlines, and other forms of external pressure tend JO-ANNIE FORTIN, M.SC.
to foster extrinsic motivation. Because employees are motivated to act solely by Another key takeaway from our research is that even though every worker At the interpersonal level, providing constructive feedback that will lead ADVISOR, ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT & LEARNING
the presence of incentives or consequences, this type of motivation is suboptimal has the same psychological needs, they do not bear the same weight or employees to improve or correct a behavior is a healthy way to support their
and short-lived. importance levels when you compare remote workers to office workers. development. Positive feedback that highlights a job well done can also help
For office workers, the need for relatedness is easier fulfilled, therefore employees feel more confident in their abilities. It is even more important for Jo-Annie.Fortin@invest-quebec.com
Employees can start to feel more in control and autonomous when they can more emphasis should be put on promoting their need for autonomy and managers to be deliberate about giving feedback when working remotely.
connect their work to their values and aspirations, or see how they are contributing competence. On the other hand, remote workers need more support to feel When giving a virtual presentation or sending an important deliverable by
to something greater than themselves. Autonomous (or intrinsic) motivation is connected with their peers. This means that management practices should email, it is much harder to gauge the recipients’ reaction. In the absence of www.linkedin.com/in/jo-annie-fortin/
the type of fuel required to achieve sustainable results. Research has repeatedly be adapted to meet the needs of different workers.

32. FDI ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL