There’s no denying that our collective new normal is a bit abnormal. Home is now not only where we live, but most likely, it’s also where we work (and for some, teach.) In that singular location, we adjust, adapt, and do our best from afar. As we do, employees of organizations the world over look to their leadership to lead the way. But how do you lead an organization and a team in such strange and surreal times?
At Oracle, we wondered the same. So, we sat down with some of our customers to find out how they’re leading, the new role technology plays in keeping their teams engaged and healthy, and what some of the long-term impacts they see coming out of this situation. We’re calling these conversations, “Candid Cloud,” and plan to share more of them each month. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in the mind of a CEO, these informal conversations should scratch that itch.
Candid Cloud Episode 1: Engaging with Employees Wherever They Are
For our first episode, Anasuya Strasner, GVP of North America Cloud, Oracle, led a conversation with two of our customers, Katie Horvath, Naveego CEO, and David VanWiggeren, DropTank CEO. Chris Gandolfo, SVP of NA Cloud SMB, also joined. Together, the four talked about connectedness and engagement, how they’re leading from home while separated from their teams, and what employees are teaching them.
You can catch the complete conversation in the following video. The following concepts are a few highlights:
Use Video to Connect
Themed lunches helped DropTank engage with each other and build trust and camaraderie. Now that the lunches are on hold, Dave said that he’s noticed increased anxiety among some of the team, particularly those who require one-on-one time. With that in mind, he’s working to connect more. To no one’s surprise, much of that happens over video. “We started with Zoom conference calls with no one on video,” he says. “Now, everyone’s turned on their camera.”
Naveego replaced team-building activities like curling and beach fires with remote happy hours and Seinfeld watch parties. Katie says at Naveego, they’ve also have moved to video meetings, and she believes that it’s helped everyone get to know one another better.
Envision What’s Next
Returning to the office (or not) and what that looks like is not straightforward, nor is it the same for every company, leader, or employee. Some people might be eager to return and others are more hesitant. For DropTank, Dave says, “It will probably be a hybrid. We may not get back to where it was and that’s ok. But managing through that and making sure that our people are comfortable will be an interesting challenge.”
At Naveego, Katie explained that she’s hoping for the best and planning for the worst. She’s considering alternative ways to return to work, like rotating staff in the office and working from home. At the top of mind is how social distancing impacts the way tech sales do their jobs, given that face-to-face might not be an option for the coming months.
For the sellers he manages at Oracle, Chris is encouraging his team to have an adaptable mindset and take things as they come. “We’ve learned that we’re all very adaptable. No one could have foreseen the change, and we’ve realized we don’t need to have a particular environment to have peak productivity.”
No matter what our revised reality may look like, how we view the world will no doubt change. Looking forward, Anasuya says, “When I see people in person from now on, I’ll be more grateful for that time with them. I’ll see it as a privilege, instead of something I assume I have.”
Watch The Series
We hope that you enjoy the series. You can watch it in the video gallery. If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover, leave a comment. Stay tuned, well, and healthy.