Q: I work for a Fortune 500 company whose workforce has been largely working remote as a result of the pandemic. Now we are offering employees the option to come back to the office. How do I encourage my team to remain visible in this hybrid work model if they choose to continue to work 100 percent remotely?
A: The key to encouraging your employees’ visibility is to first and foremost help them identify and understand the top priorities of your organization so that they can influence them within their role. The old adage that “my work will speak for me” is not going to be effective here. Instead, encourage them to be bold and control their own narrative. Once they have identified those priorities and how they can help impact them, they need to communicate with you and your leadership team regarding how they plan to achieve these goals.
It’s important that your team not operate based on assumptions; communicating with team members regularly to establish what your company leadership values most will help them succeed. Ideally, proactive employees will take the initiative to meet with you and ask what your priorities are so that they don’t end up working in a vacuum. Once you are able to vet their priorities, it’s as simple as establishing regular check-ins, which can be via a phone call, Zoom meeting or email. Establish how, where and how frequently you would like check-ins to take place. Again, visibility is all about being available for giving and receiving regular feedback.
The truth is, most of us are afraid to share our successes. Therefore, it’s important for people to understand what the company needs to succeed and what actions they can take to help the company get there, so they can then communicate their achievements on a regular basis.
You can reward people for success by tapping them for increasingly interesting and important projects and inviting them to key meetings. Encourage them to come prepared and energized for the meetings by asking themselves, “What insights can I bring?”
By helping your employees to be more effective and visible, you will also guide them to be more self-sufficient and better understand the key initiatives that will help the organization achieve success and the important role they can play in making that happen. Encouraging team members to be thoughtful about their contributions to the company will make visibility a more rewarding and natural process for you, your employees and the organization.
