Home Office. Death by Remote?

Everybody is talking about the new normal, remote and hybrid working. What was initially seen as a burden and a means to an end was already a reality in some large companies in Europe and the rest of the world before the pandemic. As we know, the pandemic accelerated this development and pushed it further than even experts had imagined.

At the beginning of the pandemic, tech companies, in particular, were quick to send their employees home to work from there, and lo and behold, productivity remained the same or even increased in some cases. Some employees don't even want to go back to the office. Travel times, distractions in the office, the freedom to organize their day (and their clothes...) the way it suits them were and are good reasons.

But especially in small and medium sized companies and in more conservative industries the skepticism and push back of executives and staff are still enormous.

For example, I recently had a long conversation about this topic with an executive from a law firm and her opinion was crystal clear: You don't get anything done at home, people who voluntarily work from home are lazy and don't get any insight of what is going on in the company.

Although it has long been proven how productive one can be working from home, prejudices and mistrust remain that employees in a home environment are busy with everything else but the work they are paid for. Another argument which is repeatedly mentioned is the factor that colleagues in the home office are disconnected from what's happening in the office, and with too many remote workers, you create a bunch of stray satellites floating around in their own orbit far from the mothership. A community and a team spirit can't develop that way. Certainly, this is a point that must not be neglected and that requires a different way of collaboration. Communication among employees requires other spaces and possibilities when work is done decentrally. There is no longer a chance meeting at the coffee machine, and smokers no longer hear the latest gossip from the neighboring department outside the door.

This has to be taken into account and poses new challenges for employees, executives and management. Nevertheless: Well prepared, the "new normal" can turn from a necessary "have-to" into a real benefit for everyone. To achieve this, however, a number of prerequisites must be met.

It starts with the software a company has to offer in order to make hybrid working a success. If you can only rely on phone and email, you're out of luck as an employee outside of your company's sacred office space. But there are so many wonderful tools that make remote collaboration easier. These include, for example, sharing and collaboratively editing documents (amongst others, Google Drive with its apps is a wonderful option). Video calls must also be possible, of course, as well as chats between employees. Chat applications especially give employees the spontaneity to just say "hello" and exchange news. Also, most of these messenger services have an option to convert the chat into a video call.

I often hear that online meetings are only half-heartedly perceived and that you finally have time to work, while listening to somebody talk about something boring. Personally, I have found that online meetings with multiple people can be highly efficient, at least as effective as face-to-face meetings. In addition to the facilitation of the meeting, clear housekeeping rules for the meeting are the key point for me. Furthermore, on the microphone usage (I mute myself if I have nothing to say) and not interrupting each other, it is particularly important that all participants in a meeting have their camera switched ON. The temptation to quickly answer an email, work on the shopping list or play a game on your mobile during a meeting is too great. Besides, my colleagues don't just want to see me, they also want to see what’s behind me. Having the camera on ensures that I stay on the ball and provides potential conversation topics. So, ALWAYS keep the camera on!

However, remote collaboration does not work like on-site collaboration in the office. It is particularly important for the manager to create spaces and use them himself too. He or she should use the chat for a brief private check-in or schedule time in team meetings for a warm-up. Preparation is required here and it is a matter of actually following through with good ideas (e.g. sending Christmas presents to team members or celebrating birthdays in a fitting manner). There are almost no limits to the imagination here. I've done meditation sessions, fitness training and a pub quiz online - during working hours, of course. No time for that? Of course not, we are all busy, but the time taken to do something like this is paid back double and triple by the employee. Guaranteed!

A lot can be done online, but some things have to be approached differently than face-to-face. The possibilities are enormous. However, one thing is very important to know: There are people behind the screen, and even if it is possible to build and deepen (working) relationships at a distance, sporadic personal meetings should be made possible, even if the distance may not allow it so often.

You want to be a better leader and developer for your team? I can help you - let's talk about it.