The collaboration and jibes that make working together in an open office interesting may not be returning soon. But the world is getting back to work. There remain hurdles to bringing back business, revenue and the side-by-side camaraderie that build that sense of partnership while staking claim for higher shares of the market. It will be nice to see those brought back though.
However the CDC will keep its pop-eyes out like the 21st century version of George Orwell’s ‘Big Brother’ until vaccines are approved to tackle the pandemic on a larger scale; the tech wizes behind Zoom, Google and Microsoft will also ensure they continue to roll out more features until everyone from the hills of Soweto to Davos’ ice-capped mountains get used to working remotely. It is more about who stakes for the bigger pies now – tech entrepreneurs have mastered that game.
That simply will be the reality for now. It is up to businesses to adapt to the giddy guidelines while ensuring their team members are fully, collaboratively connected for business recovery. Here are 3 ways to make these happen;
- Prioritize strategic & intentional communication: New words such as ‘zoom fatigue’, according to Isaac Kohen of Teramind, have crept into office lexicon lately. This tells so much about how extensive video-conferencing and staff meetings are negatively impacting workers’ psyche. To get the team sound, managers should find betters ways for releasing workers’ energy. Therefore, the need to make distant video calls interesting and intentional will encourage employees to give their best during meetings.
- Maintain agility: Keep employees vibrant, constantly updated, and tackling new tasks collaboratively. Working remotely now help businesses to access talent from anywhere. Rippling, a multi-million dollars HR software firm based in the US has most of its employees working from India. The world is changing fast. The benefits of remote work are huge but the processes have to be effectively woven into deep engagement that make each employee stay on his or her toes, able to mobilize at a moment signal.
- Set standards for team: ‘Up and by the desk’ is a mantra that provides a sense of responsibility among the workers even while working from the convenience of their homes. Whatever it takes set standards, create caveats and reward compliance to keep the team on-fire wherever they may be working from.
