Corona Crushed the Cubicle: The death of the 9-5 & what should come next
The genie is out of the bottle. We can’t go back to “normal” or even a “new normal.” It’s more about what’s next.
Picture being on a roller coaster for a year straight while also having to do your job on said roller coaster. That’s how many of us feel about working through a pandemic along with all of the other world happenings that have taken place over the past 12 or so months. We are dizzy!
The organizations of the world, from small family businesses to global corporations, have been shifting and evolving the ways in which we work. Now that we are in a time of vaccinations and a lull in Covid cases, people are coming back to work, are considering it, or have made the return months ago.
What should your organization be looking to do in right now and in the future?
The short answer is: flexibility (no, not the yoga kind).
Research shows that employee engagement is highest when people work BOTH remotely AND onsite. Engagement is lowest when they work ONLY remotely or ONLY in person. (source, Gallup 2020 poll)
Location flexibility policies or the idea of the work “multiverse” are the future of work (correction: they are happening already.)
What should working with YOUR organization look like in 2021 and beyond: In-person or Remote? 9-5, or flexible schedules?
The annoying answer is: there is no ONE right answer for everyone. There are variables that are specific to your industry, business and team, AND you can come up with your answers by exploring the following questions…
4 Questions to Help You Decide the Future of YOUR Work Culture
1. What does the team want? Have the conversation with your team. This may vary from person to person. Some crave social interaction, while others prefer less socializing. Some may benefit from flexible work hours, while others like more structure.
2. What will your business model/industry allow for? What is practical or possible? Do we even NEED an office space? What is safe? This can vary from role to role also. Ex: It’s not possible for those in the restaurant industry to work from home. Examine how your business is currently structured and what makes sense for next steps.
3. What does your organization and team value? What pros/cons might different models have for your business and team?
4. What would a successful work culture look like for US? What results do we want to see? (i.e. more engaged employees, consistent production, etc.) Use those answers to create a model specific to your business that benefits everyone.
Other things to be considered:
· How team members work best
· Personality types
· Personal circumstances (ie how have their personal circumstances changed as a result of the pandemic: loss of child care, did they move to a different city, etc)
· Creating optimal remote and in-person office setups (do they have everything they need? Is in-person working safe for the team and customers? Do we need to reconfigure the office?)
This may require a shift in the traditional way of thinking that the hierarchy sets the parameters and the workforce must conform to those parameters whether they like it or not.
You can still do it that way, but you won’t attract and retain top talent with that model. Times have changed, and our businesses must also evolve. And quite frankly, it’s about time.
One of the top considerations of the current work force is flexibility. Studies show that 64% of employees of some of America’s biggest companies would turn down a $30K pay raise to work from home indefinitely.
I think in the past AND the present, trust is the main challenge leadership has with shifting to and keeping team members working remotely. If you can’t trust your team, then why did you hire them and why are they still there? Kate Lister of Global Workplace Analytics addresses this issue when she talks with clients about their teams working remotely.
When clients ask “How will I know if they’re working?” I ask “How do you know they are working now?”
~KATE LISTER, PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL WORKPLACE ANALYTICS
Ok, you’ve had conversations with the team, considered different options, and have designed a working model that makes sense for your team right now. How can you move through it with the team?
Tips for creating your “next”
1. Embrace change. Our brains see change as a threat. Recognize that with change comes growth, and vice versa. (side note: If we are vaccinated, can we hug change?)
2. Keep communication lines open. As you make shifts, have regular conversations with the team about how those shifts are landing and tweak the plan as necessary.
3. Prepare your team for mistakes and obstacles. They will happen with change and that’s ok. Regular and honest communication is the key to moving through and forward.
4. Recognize that there is no one right answer that will work forever, no one-size fits all. Have an open mind and be willing to experiment.
Make these decisions with the knowing that they can be temporary OR something that becomes more long term. You and the team get to decide.
How has the way your team works evolved since the beginning of 2020? What’s next for your team and business?