The remote work imperative that insurance carriers and most other industries have experienced has been an interesting adventure for employers and employees alike. We quickly moved from office life to remote work arrangements, in many cases without missing a beat. Technology assisted the transition, and people adapted to the experience for working but also for remote social interactions. It was a new experience. The world had many unknowns and few options for leaving home, so people dove into their work. Productivity levels increased, and the forced social experiment seemed to be a success.
Fast forward to the present. People have been working from home for months. The strain is beginning to show—or worse, fester. Some glimmers of hopefulness of businesses opening and social gatherings starting up offer opportunities to think about life getting back to what we knew as normal. Additionally, the shine may have worn off the novelty of working from home. People are acutely aware of the challenges of converging their life with their work, and the ability to balance both is taking a toll.
While most people want to return to “normal,” we know that is not yet possible, and the flexibility of working remotely is still very much needed. This is the reality that employees and leaders are living in; the environment is calling for emotionally intelligent leadership like never before.
Novarica has been holding workshops with leaders at varying levels in insurance companies to help work through this new challenge. The goal is to aid them in better understanding the current challenges and equip them with the tools to lead through this difficult and uncharted time.
These workshops focus on the key elements of leadership, emotional intelligence, and how that relates to our current business challenge. The discussions have been enlightening and, in some cases, cathartic for executives. As we remind ourselves to understand and trust the people we lead, we also remind ourselves that understanding our own emotions and reactions is the best place to start. Flexibility, empathy, and a keen understanding of the individuals we lead are extremely important.
Additionally, concerns regarding the health and well-being of employees are quite evident in today’s environment. Opportunities to spot the signs of employees’ struggles can be harder in a remote setting. Developing a leadership approach that includes creating empathetic and authentic one-on-one interactions can help bridge this gap. Empathetic communication was a key component of the Brown/Novarica Insurance IT Leadership Executive Development Program that we held earlier this year.
Great leadership is always important for a company’s success, but that may never have been more evident than today. Starting with trust and confidence in our employees can help to boost the trust and confidence that employees have in their leadership. And that trust will translate into happier, productive employees and longer-term loyalty to the company in the months and years to come.
If you’re interested in learning more about our work in this area, please contact me at [email protected] or [email protected] to arrange a call.
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