Humanizing management

 Gianpiero Petriglieri has written a beautifully important piece for the Harvard Business Review entitled "Make Space for Grief After a Year of Loss"... you can find it here: https://hbr.org/2020/12/make-space-for-grief-after-a-year-of-loss

What leapt out at me was the discussion of making room for loss in the workplace and being more human as a manager. 

About eight weeks ago, I was at the end of my rope... the world's news was getting to me, grief was heavy, work was not feeling satisfactory, and conflict seemed to be everywhere. I decided that rather than taking time off for my mental health in a more private way, I wanted to tell my staff what I was doing and express why. 

I honestly have no idea how this decision and discussion landed for them... but I made a conscious effort to model the behaviour I hope they can take on for themselves. I wanted them to know that on that particular day, I was not at my best, and I knew it. I wanted them to know that I support their mental health. I wanted to express that I hoped our team could be authentic and supportive of one another. And above all, I wanted my 'down' moment to create space for not being ok. 

Transcribing the last paragraph of Gianpiero's HBR article here: 

    For managers to make room for loss, however, they must brave a loss of their own: of principles and prescriptions that have long oriented them. By turning from the future to the present, from a sparked imagination to a held heart, from confidence to care, a manager can help us regain our footing and, slowly, some hope. Letting those old prescriptions go, I have written before, might help us to humanize management. Likewise these months in which we have lost each other might end up humanizing work.

If it reminds us that we need space to share and soothe our grief, remoteness might even bring us closer. That might be a hopeful ending for a year of loss.