Remote working - a new opening!
Your world after the epidemic will already be different. Is it possible to take the pluses out of this situation? Some of us would like to be back in our open speace cell or glass office by now. But you don't step into the same river twice. Even if we miss the virus, not everyone will come back. And if they do come back it won't be in this size.
Excuses
Pandemic in 2 weeks swept away the excuses about working remotely. I've heard them for years:
- It is impossible, due to data security (banks, finance, offices, shared services-y). It's March 20, 2020: my accountant, working for a giant serving small businesses, checked in from home:).
- It is impossible for technical reasons. Suddenly, old laptops have revived; overloaded conference platforms have filled up with crowds. The biggest IT brains are battling technical perturbations.
- It is impossible, because I will not control my subordinates! Here's where the real vortex of concepts comes in. Just fire up LinkedIn. From remote reporting every 6 seconds, to feverish questions about how to become a leader in 3 days that the "herd" follows instinctively?
Who will not return? Think of it as an opportunity. Ask yourself, does everyone need to come back from the swagged-out nest of remote work? Or can your company too become a distributed organization? Let's start with who will be interested in remote work?
Let's look at it from the side of social groups:
- Young moms, sometimes dads. I know, I know - it's hard to work around a screaming toddler. But maybe on a smaller scale; maybe on a task basis; maybe dropping the young one off and picking him up at reasonable hours and working without trudging to work is a good idea? They are most likely thinking about it now. Talk to them.
- Older people. Suddenly they find that when thrown into deep water - they can handle it! It is true that with age they become less flexible. Tasks take up more of their time. On the other hand, studies show that it is the elderly who are loyal and thorough workers. They also have loads of ideas from experience. Maybe home office is an environment for them to focus and work better?
- Caregivers. Sometimes disabled children; sometimes ailing parents. In a "sandwich" situation (children on one side, parents on the other) there is quite a large group, mostly women, aged about 40-50. These are well-organized people; they need time and to be with their charges. Telecommuting - by all means.
Can a distributed organization be innovative?
It's time to look at the dark side of remote working.
First of all, loneliness. Already after 2 -3 weeks of quarantine we miss, even the less liked colleagues; sometimes even the boss. Some even "catch a hole". So it is worthwhile to periodically convene live meetings. Once a month is the minimum. Once every 1-2 weeks is the optimal level for the psyche of a teleworker. Note that such a meeting does not involve doing cyclical work. All the more so, since by betting on home office, you get rid of stationary positions. Rather, this is a time for training, brainstorming or performance reviews.
The other dark side of telework is weaker innovation and implementation of improvements. How to do it? You can't go to your boss's desk with an idea or discuss it with your colleagues. Even if you scrape an email, it gets lost in the abyss as a 530th item on the priority list.
And this is where news is sprouting. There are the first applications, organizing problems and ideas. Apps tried in distributed organizations. All you need is a smartphone. In service industries - a piece of cake! A greater challenge proved to be a highway construction company. A crane operator, 50+ laughing with an app? Sounded like an absurdity. But when they close a door, some window always opens. The older ones kept complaining... and it was entry material. The younger ones, we persuaded to pour "grievances" or problems into a simple smartphone form. Together they came up with solutions and shared the rewards. How much the leaders worked on it - that's a topic for a separate entry.
The important thing is that it can be done. So let's get to it!
GP
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