This isn’t business as normal. Although some companies have flexible working policies, very few operate as 100% remote working and even if they do, none have done it during a global pandemic. As restrictions start to ease many people are wondering if working life will ever look completely the same.
Although businesses aren’t all going to suddenly move to 100% remote working, at least some of this shift is likely to be permanent. If that’s the case, we need to be evaluating what has worked well and what needs to change going forward. Andrew Simmonds has shared five learnings ranging from the practicalities of working from home to managing teams.
From the Article:
DON’T ASSUME EVERYONE’S OK
This crisis is affecting each of us differently and some are coping better than others. For many of us, the economic shock is quite profound. We have friends or family whose businesses are struggling or whose jobs are gone. And we have the human tragedy of Covid-19 itself.
On the practical level, not everyone has space to set up a home office, especially younger people, who may live in shared apartments and find it quite stressful to try to work from home. Even more senior folk may find their normally quiet space now shared with their family.
People are used to coming to work and leaving their personal problems at home, but that’s impossible right now. The normal separation between work life and home life has become hopelessly blurred and, on top of that, we have the added psychological stress of isolation. Even as lockdown is eased, this feeling will be with us for a while.
So, it’s important, now more than ever, to check in with every member of your team. You may be speaking to them regularly via video conference, but it’s much harder to pick up non-verbal cues over video. So, make sure you ask how they’re doing and don’t assume everyone’s OK.
Read more tips and get the full article online: The Art of Distance Management.
Make sure to explore Inspiring Workplace’s other content and insights about leadership.
