When stay-at-home orders first became a regular occurrence during the initial phases of the pandemic and businesses had to find alternate ways to continue their operations, many workers were forced to adapt to a challenging "new normal" that they weren't prepared for. And despite the advances that technology has provided in our ability to communicate and adapt, many leaders were sometimes even less prepared for these remote-related changes than their staff.
While significant strides have been made during the last two years when it comes to both workers and leaders' ability to navigate the post-pandemic employment landscape, the lockdown has lifted and many companies and workers have decided that returning to the office is an untenable (and unprofitable) venture - and most are no further along now than they were at the start when it comes to meeting the needs of a workforce that is no longer oriented to a physical environment.
So what do obstacles look like in the present-day remote work world, and how can we help our co-workers, leadership, and partners rise to meet these new challenges? While this question might seem daunting, through our research we have found that most of these challenges can be overcome fairly easily if approaches and solutions are applied consistently. Even better news is that many of the solutions and approaches to one obstacle can actually solve for multiple stumbling blocks!
1. Loss of Routine and Work Environment
Licensed social worker Caroline Myers explains that with her clients that are working remotely or adjusting to a hybrid model, many are finding the lack of routine and sense of connection that comes with working in an office environment are curbing their ability to be fully present and productive during working hours, decreasing meaningful collaboration with peers, and causing difficulty in separating work and home relationships.
Another expert in this area, Sharon Coyle Saeed, explains that individuals need to address the grief from this sudden shifting of work and home life, or they run the risk of falling into "maladaptive coping mechanisms," such as sleeping too much, overeating, and depression. Both professionals recommend creating structures in the remote environment that are similar to those found in an office location by dedicating a space for work to be done and staying out of that space when not working.
Myers is an advocate of "bringing back the concept of the commute." She advises that the goal of this "commute" should be simple: to create some space before the start of the workday to better transition into work mode, and transition time to decompress and process your work day before you shift back to your personal life. She explains that "anything that removes you from the physical space where you work and allows you to shift your mindset can be effective and make a difference in both your workday and your home life.
Leadership can support these efforts in a variety of ways. First, practice what you preach - often leaders can get their teams to follow them simply by modeling the behavior they desire. Secondly, identify individuals within the organization who may not have an official leadership title but who are influencers within the work environment. Ask for their assistance and make sure their efforts are recognized throughout all levels of the organization. Third, and perhaps most importantly, try to meet the needs of extroverted and introverted staff. Myers explains that extroverted employees have shared that they benefit from shared challenges (such as fitness challenges) and virtual or in-person office hours. For introverted employees, blocks of time to focus on work uninterrupted by meetings or a dedicated day each week without meetings, help them increase productivity and lower burnout.
2. Feelings of Isolation and Loneliness
In his discussion of the huge shift to work from home that began with the pandemic, Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic, describes the results of Trip.com's company-wide shift to work from home. A 16,000-employee Chinese travel agency, Trip.com was able to realize more than $1,000 in savings per employee by converting their workforce to work from home, but the biggest complaint among the employees regarding remote work was loneliness. Thompson explains that breaking social bonds with remote work leads to lost creativity and companionship, and those are the very bonds that create productive teamwork.
The BBC's features editor Bryan Lufkin explains that the sudden shift to work from home created a difficult change. The loss of daily face-to-face interactions with colleagues and managers coupled with adapting to working from home with family members and pets in an often ill-prepared work space has people feeling isolated.
Similarly with methods for combating the loss of routine and a stable work environment, remote workers find their feelings of isolation and loneliness are considerably lower when office social activities are continued. Examples of these activities (in addition to the ones mentioned above) can be celebrating birthdays and work anniversaries via videoconferencing, and acknowledging outstanding efforts of employees via company newsletters.
3. Communication
The switch from on-site to remote work has created the need to pay more attention than ever to strong, clear communication in order to maintain and improve productivity and working relationships. Jana Reserva, content manager for workforce.com, says effective communication means acting fast to address issues, using consistent messaging and diverse ways to deliver messages and information, and stay open to feedback.
Good conversations are always important, but aren't always possible face-to-face. Clear communications are vitally important for a workforce newly working from home. Reserva says best practices include communicating information, expectations, support, schedules, and resources clearly and to all involved, using all means available, including email, chat platforms, videoconferencing software, FAQs, instant messaging, and text. Managers and workers can stay connected and on-track by keeping regular communication routines, such as daily check-ins with workers and work groups, weekly project status meetings, productivity reports, and coaching. And use of company intranets with chat rooms or comments sections give people an outlet to connect and express concerns and support through difficulties,
These are some of the biggest obstacles facing organizations with remote workforces in 2022, and these trends will continue to become stronger throughout 2023. Finding the right strategy to work through them will be tough, but if comprehensively developed and implemented with proper follow-through, will help with both day-to-day and future outcomes for all employees, and for a better work and home life balance.