Page 33 - 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
bond together more easily, and remote workers may miss out on those informal
1. Support employees’ autonomy through flexibility and interactions. Therefore, to avoid the creation of out-groups, teams will have to be
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
but still within organizational boundaries. team building activities. Connection is a shared responsibility; teams should
feel autonomous in choosing strategies that best fit their needs and context.
Another way to promote autonomy is through leadership . When asked
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
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
requires managers to have a clear understanding of which responsibilities, with an exciting opportunity to re-invent work models. Given our evolving context,
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
responsible to define the ‘’why” (or purpose) of a delegated task, they should will help satisfy individuals’ basic psychological needs. We can set ourselves
trust their employees to define the “how”. SDT research has demonstrated up for long term success by having employees autonomously motivated
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
they feel that their perspectives have been acknowledged and when they workforce of the future.
are given some choice about how to do it, they feel more autonomously Research Link
motivated .
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244020985516
2. Rethink learning and development
Feeling competent requires having the knowledge, skills, support, and
opportunities to perform challenging tasks. Learning and development (L&D)
can help create conditions that will promote the satisfaction of employees’
need for competence.

Hybrid working models call for hybrid L&D approaches. While formal
learning (webinars, E-learning, readings) can be done remotely, a face-
to-face setting would be optimal for peer learning, coaching, mentoring,
and other on-the-job experiences. Because face-to-face communication
is richer, it should be leveraged at times where the learning curve is the
steepest. For example, employees would benefit from working in the office
during onboarding to have easier access to their manager and colleagues,
and to get a better feel of the company’s culture.
JO-ANNIE FORTIN, M.SC.
At the interpersonal level, providing constructive feedback that will lead ADVISOR, ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT & LEARNING
employees to improve or correct a behavior is a healthy way to support their
development. Positive feedback that highlights a job well done can also help
employees feel more confident in their abilities. It is even more important for Jo-Annie.Fortin@invest-quebec.com
managers to be deliberate about giving feedback when working remotely.
When giving a virtual presentation or sending an important deliverable by www.linkedin.com/in/jo-annie-fortin/
email, it is much harder to gauge the recipients’ reaction. In the absence of

33. FDI ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL