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As remote and hybrid work environments become more commonplace, organizations face new challenges in maintaining productivity and avoiding mediocrity. While these work arrangements can offer greater flexibility and autonomy, they also require employees and leaders to consciously and purposefully guard against the temptation to settle for mediocrity. Here are five actions that both leaders and employees can take to avoid mediocrity and foster excellence in a remote or hybrid work environment.
- Set clear expectations: Leaders should clearly define what success looks like on each project or task. By setting clear expectations, leaders provide direction to their teams and discourage complacency. Employees, on the other hand, should clarify with their managers what is expected of them for each assignment, to ensure they understand the standards set for them.
- Leverage technology: Remote and hybrid environments provide opportunities for employees to leverage technology to collaborate effectively. Use remote communication and collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, and Trello to ensure that projects remain on track, and communicate effectively with your team members.
- Acknowledge accomplishments: Leaders should acknowledge team members who achieve high standards while avoiding the trap of low standards that leads to mediocrity. Employees who have been acknowledged for their high-performance can maintain their levels of excellence and continue to inspire others on the team.
- Encourage communication: Leaders should encourage communication and feedback from their team members. This will help team members to feel comfortable speaking up when they believe standards are slipping. Employees, on the other hand, can ask for feedback from their managers about their work. This can show that the team member is invested in improving their performance and contributes to the overall goal of avoiding mediocrity.
- Build a culture of continuous improvement: Leaders should encourage ongoing growth and development within their team. Identify development opportunities and encourage employees to pursue new challenges that will help them grow beyond their current skill set. Employees, on the other hand, can share their own thoughts or suggestions with the managers to help push the team further and explore new avenues of growth.
Stay alert.... avoiding mediocrity in a remote and hybrid environment requires both leaders and employees to be proactive, purposeful, and committed to fostering a culture of excellence. By taking the above five actions, both leaders and employees can work together to maintain high standards and avoid settling for mediocrity. In doing so, they will create an environment that fosters continuous growth and improvement, both for themselves and for the whole team.
Identifying mediocrity on your own can be tough, especially if you've been in your role or company a while. Schedule a chat and we can help.
