New Work: 5 things that successful managers do differently

When people talk about New Work, they often discuss the effects of digitalization, the need for new tools and skills and the increasing demand for more flexibility. Aspects such as purpose, organizational structures and collaboration are at least as important. We have discussed the topic of "New Work requires New Leadership" with managers from various industries and have compiled 5 tips that can inspire you as a manager to live New Work to the fullest.

What's so new about New Work? Even though New Work has been around for some time, the situation has become more acute due to the shortage of skilled workers. This is leading to a change in the balance of power between employers and employees.

Whereas a few years ago employers were able to select their top candidates from a pool of many suitable applications, today it is the employees who decide between various job offers.

Organizations are increasingly confronted with changing expectations on the part of employees. To be successful as a company, it can be an advantage in attracting and retaining top talent if New Work is fully understood and anchored in the way of working.

At the same time, this also leads to changes in the way teams work together and the expectations placed on the role of a manager. With increasing decentralization and agile, location-independent working, it is becoming more and more important to adapt your own management style to the new circumstances.

So what can you do as a manager to live New Work with your team?

While there are some common mistakes that managers make, here is a selection of tips to inspire and motivate you.

1. equip your employees with the right tools and skills

New leadership is based on enablement. Motivate your employees to keep up to date with new tools, continue their training and realize their full potential.

Digitalization places a number of new demands on the skills required. While ("basic") digital know-how is a must in many positions today, soft skills such as communication, self-management, conceptual thinking, etc. have become indispensable.

While some employees already have many skills, the constant change requires continuous learning and therefore a high level of self-motivation.

Keep the barrier to training and development as low as possible. Support self-directed and social learning (in addition to "formal" forms of learning) by ensuring that employees have easy access to the information they need and that is relevant to them.

2. create a culture of trust

Trust is the key to an organization's success!

A culture of trust within entire teams, departments and divisions can only be achieved if there is mutual trust at an individual level (my colleagues and superiors trust me and I trust my colleagues and superiors).

And this becomes all the more important for collaboration with increasing asynchrony (e.g. different working days, flexible working hours, location-independence, ...). There are now many tools to facilitate communication and collaboration, but we must not forget that flexibility means different things to different people and requires a high degree of self-management.

When you trust your employees and your employees trust you and each other, this generally leads to more respect and understanding of individual commitments and situations as well as better self-management and organization within the team. This gives you, as a manager, more resources to help your employees reach their full potential.

3. promote an active feedback culture

Change requires open communication and a feedback culture with your team(s). Maintain a constant dialog with the team, ask and listen to what works and what needs to be improved.

Encourage an open feedback culture where employees know they are allowed to share their opinions and suggestions. This can take the form of a dedicated, recurring meeting, a channel (e.g. Teams, Slack) or direct feedback - talk about it as a team and find out what works best for you. Also discuss how to give and receive feedback properly.

Remember: everyone is different and has individual needs and preferences. And not everyone copes equally well with change. A sudden increase in flexibility and freedom may leave some wanting more guidance or leadership. Let them know that they will not be left alone and that you will continue to support them and that the team will support each other.

4. mistakes can happen

Mistakes can happen. Learn from them and benefit from them!

Managers must create an environment of trust in which mistakes can be made. Instead of blaming and punishing someone when a mistake happens, it is important to be able to talk openly about what happened, why it happened and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.

5. leading by example

As a manager, you are responsible for communicating the values and goals of the organization and making sure that everyone knows the "Why", the North Star.

Make sure you don't stick to "old" habits, where you require a check-in at the start of the day and a check-out at the end of the day, for example. Instead, instill a trusting approach, perhaps work from home from time to time, be a role model and encourage your employees to be the best version of themselves.

A manager's trusting attitude alone is often not enough if employees do not trust each other and, for example, question working hours when a colleague is working from home. By acting as a role model, your employees themselves can become the best communicators of your company's values and goals.

With these tips, you can create a working environment in which employees are more motivated, committed and independent. When employees are trusted, they generally take more responsibility for their work and feel more involved. This has a positive effect on employee loyalty and leads to greater commitment.

Changing the way you work requires time and consistency, the right attitude, feedback loops, motivation and above all: trust!

Do you know whether your organization has a Trust-based workplace culture prevails? And are you sure that this applies to all employees? An employee survey helps you to make the culture measurable and tangible. You can then use the results to derive evidence-based, effective measures.