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What I’ve learned taking over as a housing association chair in a world of remote working

Building and managing relationships in the world of remote work can seem like a mechanical process – but it’s the result that counts, says Rebecca Rance

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Ensure you allocate time to relationship management, personal development and more when remote working (picture: Getty)
Ensure you allocate time to relationship management, personal development and more when remote working (picture: Getty)
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What I’ve learned taking over as a housing association chair in a world of remote working, says @RanceRebecca #UKhousing

Building and managing relationships in the world of remote work can seem like a mechanical process – but it’s the result that counts, says @RanceRebecca #UKhousing

I found myself reflecting recently on how we build relationships, the dynamics of a new team, and how we learn and develop in our world of social distancing.

This is pertinent to me, because after having been on the board of Framework Housing Association for approximately three years, I have recently become chair. We have several new board members and a change in the senior leadership team.

Framework is a specialist housing association and charity that provides homes and services to homeless people and those threatened with homelessness.

Along with the “Everyone in” scheme and the “Next Stage Accommodation Programme”, we are continuing to provide all our service areas – housing, health, employment, and care and support – to vulnerable people in our society.

That means proactively managing the ongoing changes to safe practices linked to COVID-19 and staff absence, as well as finding new, safe ways to provide services. We’re also focused on continuing to provide best outcomes for our services’ users.

COVID-19 requires us to look at our long-term strategy and business planning through new glasses, to see the world differently and operate successfully to meet this change.

It is an important time, and forging board and management relationships, as well as the various permutations for individuals and groups, is an additional dynamic to navigate, along with strategic planning and service delivery.


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Focusing on the board, we know its dynamics are important for it to be effective. But how do we learn to gel together?

One colleague said to me recently: “When you have a pre-existing relationship it is easier, but building new relationships in a virtual format is different and needs to be thought about and managed differently.”

How do we ensure an effective induction? How do we combat the sterile nature of the virtual meeting environment? What replaces the networking opportunity before and after board meetings – the quick word and catch up, the opportune moment to walk with someone or say “let’s get a coffee” and ask those questions that you have been pondering. The opportune moment no longer occurs, be it in the office, conference or regional meeting or at lunch.

Having worked in a flexible, agile way to deliver an executive role for more than five years, I recall appreciating the freedom that it can afford in the first instance – and then seeing it disappear and my diary start to control me with back-to-back meetings, potentially undermining the quality of my thinking and work and squeezing out time for communication, relationship management and development.

I recognised at that time that diary management is essential, to manage and develop relationships as well as deliver work. As we become more digital and flexible in our working, while technology creates ease and flexibility, it necessitates a stronger and more planned approach to how we operate.

Planning, diary management, and focused and planned communication become crucial. These are all things we may have thought we already did, but we are finding out we either didn’t or we need to improve our skills further.

In our world of remote working and social distancing, we need to develop new skills and new approaches.

“Importantly, we have to plan the formation, development and management of relationships in a more formal and diligent way than before”

Importantly, we have to plan the formation, development and management of relationships in a more formal and diligent way than before.

I heard a report recently of how remote, virtual social interaction was felt to have enhanced, enriched and created more connections for a young student.

They felt they had actually developed more through this new way of working, gaining more impactful experiences than they would have done traditionally.

This motivated me to draw on my past experience and concentrate on how I will work to continue to deliver successful outcomes and plan the development and maintenance of the many emergent and new relationships around me.

I embrace time to build relationships and reach out to people. I say no sometimes and am firm about the time I need to deliver quality. This drives positive outcomes. I also build in time for learning, development and reflection.

This may seem sterile and calculated compared to traditional practice. However, it is simply different – a change.

“Investing time in how we work together will now, more than ever, be the foundation of our success”

I have determined the ratios of time I need to assign to different activities: meetings, work delivery including thinking and liaison time, specific relationship management time, and time to maintain my business and sector knowledge.

I know if I do this, it will provide the best opportunity and environment to build new and strengthen existing relationships, albeit in a remote and socially distanced way.

Overall, working remotely in a social distanced way draws attention to the mechanics of relationship-building and management, as well as the time it takes and should take.

The mechanical nature seems forced, but it is the result that is important and investing time in how we work together will now, more than ever, be the foundation of our success.

Rebecca Rance, chair, Framework Housing Association

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