THE PHYSICAL OFFICE VSREMOTE WORKING

Ways to work smarter during the lockdown

Historically, a remote working environment has been viewed as less productive compared to being in the office. Managers and business owners have long felt that employees could not be trusted fully to consistently work diligently outside of the office and out of their watchful eyes. However, the lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic has forced business leaders to face the reality that productive work can occur outside of the office, or in a hybrid work environment.

With the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreading as we enter the Fall season, the practice of remote work across the U.S. will most likely continue into 2022.

Can Remote Work Really Work?

Of course! Remote work during the pandemic has shown to be effective and has presented managers with a new approach to scale and digitize their business operations. In fact, according to a 2020 McKinsey & Company (“McKinsey”) study, 41% of employees interviewed reported that they were more productive working from home than they were at the office. Moreover, 52% of employees prefer a more flexible working model post-pandemic, where they can work from home 2–3 days per week, based on a 2021 McKinsey report. To compound matters, 30% of employees interviewed by McKinsey said that they would look for new job opportunities if flexible work isn’t an option at their current workplace.

Below are three (3) ways your employees can remain productive and avoid workplace burnout during the Fall:

• RE-EVALUATE TO-DO LISTS

Encourage your team members to review their task lists to identify what items to suspend by using the “Stop, Start, Continue” method, surfacing and giving a clear indication of the tasks currently aligned to a goal. Continue with the ones that support the attainment of the company’s monthly revenue target.

• CONDUCT MEETING AUDITS

Encourage your team to audit each meeting on their calendars to ensure that there is an agenda and that the meeting’s objectives affect their job function. If an employee isn’t required for a meeting, he or she should decline and instead allocate more time for productive work, or family.

• BE FLEXIBLE WITH DEADLINES AND CHECK-INS

Work with employees to align tasks and priorities to ensure everyone is on the same page and do not feel stressed trying to meet unrealistic deadlines and expectations that could have been amended. To foster tasks alignment, allow for quick impromptu check-ins.