Spending time working from home means that you have to be extra aware of being a part of the discussions that are going on in work. If you’re a bigger picture thinker, like me, context is key. If you only have snippets of detail, you can’t join the dots and nothing makes sense. Unless you’re a part of the whole, you feel apart and adrift.
Being a part of wider discussions is as much your responsibility as it is of your manager’s
You need to
1- ask questions, and keep asking until you understand
2- join in the discussion. Ask if you can attend meetings, where it’s appropriate, to better understand the wider context
3- accept that you might not be able to be in the know about everything.
Managers need to
1- make sure you know what your direct reports need: the detail or the bigger picture
2- give yourself enough time to explain, discuss and share what’s appropriate so that you get the output and outcomes you need
3- tell people when you can’t tell them things. That alone expands people’s awareness and helps them put things into context
All parties need to recognise that we’re in a new era and working in a different way. Ensuring people are a part of the working world and don’t feel set apart is a different skill than it used to be.
We’re all just working this out together!