Trust and Relationships in The Office

It has been challenging to observe the leader-follower relationships during this internship because I am working remotely. However, one way in which I have been able to learn about the leadership dynamics in the office has been through Skype calls, which my manager sets up for myself and the other intern. We typically have three calls a week with different members of the department. These calls are typically around 30 minutes and we have the chance to ask a few questions. 

We have had the opportunity to meet with two very senior leaders in the department as well as a variety of other employees. When meeting with the senior leaders I ask how they would describe their leadership style and if it has changed since working remotely? I have heard a variety of responses, however, most frequently they say that they enjoy working with others and emphasize strong relationships with their followers. I have observed this during my internship as their followers seem to have a very involved and positive relationship with the senior leaders. 

These “followers” are the other employees in the office. The way the office is structured is a bit confusing. However, from what I understand Secretary DeVos is the head of the department, and under her is Deputy Secretary Mitchell Zias. The two of them each have their own assistants and teams who work closely with other members of the office who advocate for policy and work collaboratively on projects. This is just within the office of the Secretary. However, there are 13 offices within the department as a whole. Each of these thirteen offices is either assigned to the secretary of the deputy secretary. And within these offices are similar structures to the secretary’s office.  

Due to this collaborative work environment, there is a high amount of trust amongst the employees. I have observed this from the first few moments of Skype calls when they are discussing their daily tasks and participating in casual small talk. However, as soon as it is time for the meeting to start they flip a switch and are professional and to the point with the work. The collaboration I have observed also comes from the amount of group effort that goes into various projects. For example, the project I am working on right now relates to a separate office than I am working in, however, they needed help and I was able to lend a hand. 

While it has been challenging to observe the relationships in the office from a remote internship it has also been interesting to find new ways to learn about the culture and trust in the office.