Always deliver more than expected. ‒ LARRY PAGE, CO-FOUNDER OF GOOGLE

It is late afternoon, and you just sent off the report you have been working on all day from your home. Now, you cannot work on the project any further until you receive feedback, and there are no unanswered emails in your inbox. Do you:

  1. Go outside to mow your lawn?
  2. Address the stack of dishes in your sink?
  3. Begin to think critically about how your team is meeting its objectives, and start a list of innovative approaches to achieving better outcomes?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most public service employees performed their duties in offices, and “doing the extras” occurred naturally after immediate needs were met. At that time, we were all captive in our place of work with little flexibility. Now, the ability to quickly shift from professional to private obligations is a benefit of remote work. But how can public service managers ensure that surpassing work expectations is considered before staff turn to the other tasks that compete for their attention?

Overcoming barriers to audacity

First off, if staff are uncertain about what extra work is of value, they are unlikely to initiate. The federal 2019 Public Service Employee Survey revealed that 15 per cent of employees do not feel they have clear work objectives. Management must provide clarity to staff on expectations and how staff can exceed expectations. Interestingly, a recent Workforce Institute survey of persons aged 16 to 25 (i.e., the workers of tomorrow) found that 32 per cent of respondents would be motivated to work harder if they had a supportive manager and 75 per cent would prefer to receive a manager’s feedback in person. In a remote context, managers should consider holding discussions about surpassing expectations via virtual video meetings, as opposed to emails or phone calls.

A second uncertainty that may prevent extra effort is the uncertainty of reward. A level of risk is inherent in investing time in side-projects, particularly if project benefits will not be realized immediately. The risk-averse cultural context of government may be an impediment to initiative. The 2019 Public Service Employee Survey found that 16 per cent of employees feel they are not encouraged to be innovative or to take initiative in their work. Managers need to recognize and reward risk-taking and initiative as part of virtual performance review meetings.

Barriers to audacity can be overcome through open and honest conversations between managers and employees. Managers should not underestimate the value of simply asking staff, even those who are exceeding expectations, whether they have the capacity to take on more. Striking the right balance between autonomy and accountability among team members depends on trusting relationships built upon authentic conversations.

Managers can refer many online resources to staff who voice concern with concentrating at home. For example, Flexjobs (a remote work job site) provides some tips, including allocating time that would be used commuting to getting chores out of the way before starting work, shutting kids’ playroom doors to keep messes out-of-sight and out-of-mind, and saving quick chores for that five-minute break from the desk when needed.

What is at stake?

Teams may now be meeting their objectives in the new normal, but there are extra steps necessary to ensure long-term success. Are forward-looking work plans being updated? Are staff proactively identifying future risks and mitigation strategies? Are work relationships being strengthened, and are new external partnerships being explored? Is research being initiated to lay the groundwork for the policy and service delivery innovations of tomorrow? These questions highlight some of the extra-mile activities that are critical to progress within the public service and which cannot afford to be dropped as we adjust to remote work arrangements.

In the new normal, management must pause to take stock. As staff settle into new work arrangements and as the end of the COVID-19 pandemic enters our crosshairs, the time will come for us to shift the mindset from a focus on surviving towards an appetite for thriving.