{"id":1169,"date":"2020-05-20T16:47:18","date_gmt":"2020-05-20T16:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.proftesting.com\/blog\/?p=1169"},"modified":"2024-05-30T16:05:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T16:05:36","slug":"nudges-and-the-work-from-home-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.proftesting.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/20\/nudges-and-the-work-from-home-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Nudges and the work-from-home world \u2013 How to inspire your team from a distance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just a few short weeks ago, the work world underwent a rapid, unplanned, sea change. Those of us in the assessment industry, along with most of the world, were suddenly required to stay home. Work from Home<\/em> (WFH) went from being an interesting option or an occasional break in the work week, to a mandated experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By this point, you have probably addressed most of the urgent needs and technological logistics this requirement imposed on you and your team. Work is probably moving forward, at least to some degree. You are probably in contact with all your team members, and everyone is getting more familiar with leaning on video calls to get things done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, remote communication may still feel like a poor second best to in-person contact. You may be struggling with the process of leading your team from your living room, instead of a company board room. You may feel particularly challenged if you are used to getting your messages across through your enthusiasm for a vision or even with the force of your personality. Unfortunately, these don\u2019t translate well to the small screen of a laptop monitor. You may need to find new approaches to effective communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this new WFH world, you might find it helpful to think about a few \u201cnudge\u201d approaches to communication, from the field of behavioral design (link to Parshall & Cox, 2018<\/a><\/em>). \u201cNudges\u201d are small changes to an environment that can have a powerful effect. With a few changes to how you communicate, the effectiveness of your messages may increase substantially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few nudges that help when communicating your vision<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

First, remember that the way we frame <\/em>any message has enormous power to increase, or decrease, its effectiveness. So, one useful tactic as you prepare a message is to ask yourself, \u201cWhy should they care?\u201d Then, frame your message from that perspective, with a focus that will be meaningful to your team. I like to call this the \u201cmeaningful why\u201d<\/em> principle (Sinek, 2009). Give them a meaningful reason to care about your message and they will respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, it\u2019s worth thinking about what engages your team members. One of the key motivators in the workplace is the feeling that they are part of something larger than themselves <\/em>(Pink, 2011). People are highly motivated at work when they have the sense that they are contributing to something that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example of a message that includes this kind of nudge is \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n