Better leadership begets better work schedules

Since the beginning of the epidemic, every organization has been developing and testing all feasible methods and solutions to increase workplace efficiency by monitoring activities and assessing employee performance in order. Tracking employee performance can be achieved by using performance management system tools and/or team meetings with managers daily to keep an eye on the performance of each employee, which varies from company to company. Even then, managers are more comfortable in a daily meeting with their team through video calls. Meetings with managers should not be a source of concern for any employee unless they are frequent and put a mental strain on the employee. It has been observed that employees perform better on tasks assigned to them in writing than on video calls. Few others realized that their involvement in the video call meeting made no difference, either since they had nothing to say about it or because they did not have the opportunity to speak their mind owing to the presence of their direct supervisors. These meetings eat up their productive time during the day, so employees feel dissatisfied and frustrated in these situations. Let's talk about how to deal with a difficult situation at the workplace in the best way possible so that employees get a better work experience. 

Amid pandemics, video call meetings are a common way for working professionals to communicate with their remote colleagues. However, we cannot take this practice for granted as frequent meetings not only divert an employee's attention away from the task at hand, but frequent meetings also put undue strain on employee’s minds. As a result, video call meetings should only be used when necessary. Meetings were never as frequent before the pandemic because we all used to work under one roof so communicating information was simple, that is yet another fact that we cannot downplay. The excessive meeting also affects the work-life balance of employees concomitantly. Frequent meetings eat up an employee's productive working hours, time that could be spent completing the task at hand, but these factors now force them to work in extended hours to complete the task. Sometimes, such events are reasonable, however, if these events occur frequently, it can lead to employee anguish and frustration. In this practice, women are the most vulnerable as managing household activities, kids, and parents post working hours is a challenge for them and if it is expected by the manager to add some additional hours of working in the late evening to complete pending work will be rubbing salt in the wound. Excessive meeting also causes physical and mental exhaustion and that reduces the productivity of an employee. Regular late evening or late-night meetings, except for employees working in the United States or the United Kingdom, might lead to melancholy and distress in employees that later may turn into disease. This is not an ideal working environment, in my opinion. 

Leaders must ensure that their meeting agenda is shared with teammates in advance so that they can prepare themselves before the meeting to answer questions or discuss topics that will make the meeting more productive. Those who are truly needed should attend a meeting so that the productive working hours of another employee are not disrupted. Leaders can transcribe their video call conversation recordings by using Microsoft Word to pen down the entire conversation. In addition, the team will have more time to focus on the discussion because of this technology. Clear communication will enhance clarity towards goals assigned to an individual and will reduce the event of disagreement at any point post-meeting. As everyone is working remotely, and meetings are often attended by a large number of people, leaders face the difficulty of answering everyone's questions. Employees are also afraid to ask questions in front of their colleagues to prevent an embarrassing circumstance in the form of replies from managers. The leader should use proper language. To prevent contamination, the leader should be able to determine whether or not the person listening to him has comprehended his expectation. Due to a lack of communication, the employee would become confused and disoriented while attempting to perform the allocated assignment. To avoid the need for re-discussion, task assignments must be clear. 

Managers must act in the role of ideal leaders, encouraging and motivating their teams to complete tasks. He should be able to troubleshoot problems for his team. Managers are also dealing with the heat of management's pressure tête-à-tête amid pandemics. A good leader, on the other hand, never leaves their team completely exposed to management pressure. Why am I quoting this line here? Because an afraid leader will never take a ball in his court, so he will always strive to convey received information to the team to hold them accountable for the entire activity, as a result, these situations lead to excessive meeting sessions. As per my experience, even a short meeting in a day can be helpful if it is scheduled properly. The meeting agenda, as well as the line of action and other details that can assist the team in achieving its objectives, should be well scripted. An insecure leader doubts his team's ability and efforts, whereas a good leader believes in them. The differences in leadership styles either reduce or increase work pressure, causing employees to feel marooned. Frequent meetings may be averted by well-defined tasks with clear deadlines and a comprehensive grasp of the purpose. Technology's inclusiveness may also be a useful tool. A better team relationship, more understanding, and greater transparency are also essential. Organizations may work with their leadership team on establishing guidelines for virtual meetings and optimum meeting times, which shouldn't exceed 30-45 minutes. Organizations must keep in mind that employees with healthy minds and spirits are more productive.