The events of the last few months have changed the way we think about the very fundamentals of work.
Millions of UK employees were placed on the government’s job retention furlough scheme, and ONS figures for April found that 49.2% of adults in employment were working from home.
For the most part, this scheme and the fast shift to working from home have been a success; the job retention initiative has been credited with saving millions of jobs that might otherwise have been lost.
But now as we come out of the pandemic, we must recognise that the world of work has changed.
Team members are no longer having their usual ‘coffee’ chats and catch-ups. As human beings, our workplace community and connection plays a significant part in all our lives; often driven by the culture in our organisation.
So what happens now?
Organisations who build great teams with culture as a key driver may need to think again about their cultural health moving forward.
Today we look at how critical it will be to maintain a positive company culture in our new business landscape and where your areas of focus need to be.
Define Your New Purpose
A big part of what will have defined your culture pre-Covid are your values and purpose.
Integral to every successful business is a mission statement – a simple description which sums up what you do and why you do it. Consider if the changes the pandemic has caused in your organisation call for you to reassess your company vision and mission.
Consider if the following have fundamentally changed since the pandemic:
- Has your organisation changed its products and services?
- Has your team changed in size – have you made redundancies or taken on new employees?
- Did the pandemic highlight problems in your organisation that needed to change quickly?
- Aside from social distancing measures, have you introduced new systems and processes?
Be aware of how your organisation has changed and communicate this to your team to highlight your new direction or focus. Remember too, that remote employees who have been working from home for months may feel ‘out of the loop‘.
Staying on the subject of working from home, let‘s look at how the post-Covid workplace could affect your entire team‘s dynamic.
The End of the Office?
As I mentioned earlier data from April revealed that nearly half of all UK workers have been able to do so from home.
This happened at first due to government recommendations, and over the months it has been in effect, both employees and employers have embraced remote working to varying degrees and for many different reasons.
Employees who have a home office and who previously had a long commute are enjoying working from home. Others with less available working space and who live alone might dread the thought of never returning to the office.
A few months ago, the idea of not having a physical office would have sounded like an unusual idea. However, the pandemic has made plenty of employers seriously consider this for the future of their business.
One business owner I talked to recently has decided to no longer have an office in the city, saving his company £460,000 a year in rent and rates; he isn’t the only one.
Many organisations are already discussing the option of letting their offices go all together, in line with our new virtual post-Covid world; such a significant change will have serious implications.
Maintaining Great Working Relationships – From a Distance
Many of us didn‘t realise just how essential the camaraderie of the office was in keeping teams feeling united and able to work better together on projects.
While Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack and other video software have allowed teams to keep in touch for the things that matter, has it impacted on the quality of our work and our working relationships?
‘Zoom fatigue‘ is a post-pandemic phenomenon. While video is great for an instant conversation, our brains find it more challenging to communicate this way, as we lack the real-life cues that are usually present in conversation; small face movements, the smell of a room or details in our peripheral vision.
Lacking these real-life experiences can sometimes make video meetings feel ‘unreal‘ and harder for us to process.
Before you agree to remote working in your organisation, be sure that team members are comfortable with the implications and always offer a choice. Those who want to work from home can, while others can still come into the office; the key is flexibility.
The Importance of Leadership in (Un)Socially Distant Workplaces
Social distancing has allowed us to control the virus, but it has also isolated us from our colleagues.
Teams who are now discouraged from being near each other run the risk of creating unfriendly workspaces, which can impact negatively on wellbeing. Humans are social creatures, and working all day without interacting with others can lead to loneliness, isolation and often frustration too.
If your employees are now spread out, with some working from home, some back in a socially distanced setting; strong and resolute leadership is needed to help guide your team through this unsettling time.
Final Thoughts
The pandemic has made changes to our whole lives, both positive and negative. But even from the negatives, opportunities can still be drawn.
Right now is a time for refocusing and getting your culture and your leadership insights right to help strengthen your team.
The key thing to remember is that businesses cannot expect to carry on the way things were pre-Covid. Acknowledge and embrace what has changed, and work together with your team to create a working environment, whether office or remote based that benefits everyone.
For extra advice and support on leadership topics, head to our blog where you will find a range of leadership articles, or click here to learn more about the leadership programmes we offer.
Until next time,
Julia
About Zestfor
Zestfor specialises in developing Training programmes and resources scientifically tailored for technical markets – including Pharmaceutical, IT, and Life Sciences.
Our blend of in-classroom, online, and virtual live-stream delivery methods will engage and assure even the most introverted team members from the first meeting – whether face-to-face or virtually. To have a brief chat, call us on 0845 548 0833. Alternatively, please email our team here.
