Why 60% of Your Remote Workforce is Struggling

One of the biggest changes as a result of COVID-19 is people moving from an in-person work environment to one that is remote.

It’s no big deal for me.  Our team has been remote from Day One.  I spend about 30 weeks on the road. Alone.  We live on 32 acres with no neighbor closer than a half-mile.  I like it.  Actually, I love it.  I am energized by solitude, peace, and quiet.  I have a preference for introversion.

My widowed mom on the other hand is struggling mightily.  She’s 84 and still works full time as a receptionist at a publishing company.  Because of her age, her employer told her to work from home.  She hates it.  Before COVID-19 she told me all the time how much she loved her job.  The work is pretty easy, but she loves being around her boss and her co-workers.  My mom has a preference for extraversion. 

Now I don’t have the time or energy to write an entire post on personality preferences.  We do lots of workshops though using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and also the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.  But I’d like to focus on one area that I’m seeing lot of commentary on:  the loneliness of workplace isolation.

For some people, PEOPLE are the most challenging thing about the workplace.  For those folks, endless meetings, conference calls, office interruptions, water cooler discussions (although I don’t think many offices have water coolers anymore) are the biggest morale-killers.  They hate being in meetings where “people seem to talk just the hear the sound of their own voices.”  These people LOVE it when they have a telework day because they all comment on how much more productive they are.  These people, who might identify as having a preference for introversion, are quite happy if their current COVID-19 response is to have to work remotely for the foreseeable future. They are energized by solitude, peace, and quiet.  They represent about 40% of the U.S. population.

But the other 60%, their extraversion-identifying co-workers, are going nuts right now!  The thing that charges up their batteries, people, are no longer working right next to them.  Zoom meetings simply aren’t enough.  They miss the chance to pop in on colleagues to talk about a project or bounce ideas off someone.  They pine for the days of chatting around the water cooler.  They have trouble focusing because for right now, the only co-worker they have is themselves. 

And this is one of the biggest complaints we are hearing right now.  It’s the reason why my mom is calling me at least once a day and keeps me on the phone for a minimum of 30 minutes.  She always made time to talk to me before, but now it’s almost a sense of desperation.  And I get it.  I know she loves me, but right now she NEEDS PEOPLE!  It’s the reason she’s not sleeping well.  Her regular schedule is disrupted and the only people that keep her company are the news reporters on TV, her friends who reach out to see if she needs anything, her Alexa, and me!  I’m convinced that when the crisis ends and she goes back to the office, her sleep will get back to normal and I probably won’t hear from her as much.

So if you’re a manager or an HR professional, start checking in more frequently on your teams.  Some will be just fine if you leave them alone, but some crave communication.  Remember, motivation happens when you get WHAT you need, WHEN you need it.  This is your chance to meet that need in a more deliberate, and focused manner.

And remember, introversion doesn’t mean that you’re quiet and shy and a good listener.  Extraversion doesn’t mean you’re the life of the party and a great speaker.  It simply means that you’re ENERGIZED by different things.  Get to know your people and engage them where they live.  This current crisis is your chance to shine.  Don’t miss this opportunity!