Remote work: wake up to a new way of working
Prior to 2020, most companies were either hesitant to embrace remote work even on a case-by-case basis, or adamant that it would never work for their unique needs for in-person collaboration. Even I thought our highly-collaborative, high-performance team was so successful in part due to the value of immersive, in-person collaboration and ideation.
Remote work during a global pandemic has been unique for everyone, depending on individual roles and responsibilities, conditions at home (ranging from lack of access to adequate internet or workstations, to living with multiple roommates or in unfortunate cases even abusive partners), mental health challenges, and even gender. Fortune highlighted a study showing that one in two women voluntarily left the workforce or reduced their paid working hours if they were mothers responsible for 80% or more of the childcare for young children.
No matter your unique scenario, the pandemic immediately blurred the lines between professional and personal lives and changed the way many approach work. After a year of productivity at all costs, many are reevaluating everything. Some are leaving marriages and relationships that no longer serve them. Some are moving to new states or countries to be closer to family, take advantage of a lower cost of living, or just for the adventure of it all. People are evaluating priorities and reinventing themselves, seeking new opportunities and in some cases entirely new careers.
Companies must respond to the needs of their employees to create more flexible and intentional work cultures and environments.
How can we evolve to create remote work... that works?
Use a human-centered design approach. Simply put: listen to your employees and industry research, identify friction and pain points, provide solutions and refine those solutions based on employee response and feedback.
What does great look like? Ask questions. What do your employees want? Before you rush back to an in-person only model, you may be surprised to hear that your top-performers may refuse to return. Get clear on what your employees want, what challenges they are facing, and what they are looking for—then take action to provide solutions.
Learn from your peers in the industry. Who's doing it right? Seek out companies who have been excelling at a remote-first approach prior to 2020—their insights and learnings can be invaluable. Companies like Dropbox and Phase2 Technology are transparent in sharing their successful approach to communication, collaboration and steps taken to keep culture alive.
Embrace the human side of work. The rapid shift to back-to-back video calls welcomed constant background cameos from children, partners, and pets. It has been a helpful reminder of everyone’s unique circumstances. How can companies and individuals foster a culture that embraces authenticity and empathy?
Communicate clearly. From clear return to office plans and dates, to helpful meeting agendas and well-timed praise after a job well done, clear communication is key in unifying and empowering dispersed teams.
Rethink meetings. Be conscientious of when meetings are scheduled, and avoid scheduling meetings around school or childcare drop off times, or early morning and late evening hours for those working in different time zones. Encourage employees to go video-free for meetings as needed to avoid video-fatigue. Even the most gregarious and extroverted among us eventually gets tired of monitoring their facial expression on yet another video call. In hybrid work models, make sure that your meetings are designed to be inclusive of both in-person and remote colleagues.
Be flexible. Productivity improves when employees feel empowered to own when and how they work. When employees are able to control their day and how they approach work, outside of a strict 9-5, they regain valuable time for living. Employees are able to take time to walk their dog or practice yoga, to attend their daughter’s track meet, to meet a friend for lunch, to share an after school snack with a child and hear about their day. This time away is not only imperative, but also key to productivity. Empowered employees move through their day more efficiently and with more energy and focus.
Invest in engagement. Maybe your employees are tired of yet another zoom happy hour. It’s time to get creative. Larger companies may even consider hiring roles dedicated to enhancing employee engagement and career growth. Find ways to engage and recreate the magic of in-person connection and collaboration. Invest in collaborative tools, well-organized and energizing virtual events, care packages and on-boarding materials, gift cards for coffee or food delivery for key collaborative workshops or celebratory events and employee resource groups.
Prioritize connection. From casual virtual coffee chats for teams to 1:1 meetings with colleagues, embrace time to connect as humans, not just business professionals. Not only is this time needed to foster a culture of excellence, the relationships built will allow work to be executed more efficiently with more powerful collaboration.
Photography ©2021 Elle Darcy Photography.
