Remote Work: The ‘Beyond Meat’ Version Of Cubicle Farms
March 12, 2020, will live in my memory forever. COVID-19 had started to spread across the U.S., and businesses were sending people home. Cities and states were shutting down. At Zoetis, that Thursday we were all told to work remotely for a couple of weeks to allow for the spread of the virus to subside. I don’t think anyone in the corporate community thought it would last until April, frankly. Obviously, we were all wrong. It must be stated that COVID-19 caused lives to change forever - it cannot be overstated that millions died, more were affected in one way or another with long-lasting symptoms, and individuals like my wife and I permanently changed how we thought of illness and contagious disease. We had a little one at home who spent Easter 2020 waiving to her grandparents through the dining room window while they sat in camping chairs 12+ feet away.
There were active conversations within my group at work about what remote work looked like pre-COVID-19, but the plan was one-off opportunities like a refrigerator was being delivered and installed at your house so you needed to be home to let the crew in. My boss was a remote worker but he was the only remote individual in our group. He was the test balloon, so to speak, and his efforts pre-pandemic helped shape how we worked well during (and after) the pandemic. My former company is starting to bring people back into the office so that was the spark for me to put some thoughts down on the topic.
As remote work becomes increasingly prevalent, organizations are fine-tuning what scenario works best for them - fully onsite, fully remote, or a hybrid approach. Organizational leaders must adapt to ensure their teams remain productive, engaged, and satisfied. Adopting best practices for remote work is crucial for achieving these goals. This post outlines six key strategies supported by expert opinions to help leaders navigate the remote work landscape effectively.
1. Establish Clear Communication Channels
Effective communication is the backbone of successful remote work. It’s crucial. Without the ease of face-to-face interactions, clear and structured communication becomes vital. Tools such as Microsoft Teams and Slack can facilitate seamless communication. Leaders like Dr. Joseph Aoun, President of Northeastern University, emphasize that structured communication channels are essential to avoid information silos, ensuring all team members are on the same page and can collaborate effectively.
2. Foster a Strong Organizational Culture
Maintaining a strong organizational culture is challenging but not impossible in a remote setting. Regular virtual team-building activities and check-ins can help reinforce company values and camaraderie. Chris Dyer, author of The Power of Company Culture, highlights the importance of intentional culture-building efforts in remote teams, suggesting that leaders should prioritize these activities to keep employees connected and motivated. One way (and my preferred way) to do this is to utilize any in-person onsite meetings for this exact purpose. Too quickly we forget that we’re people first and not just a name at the end of an email or chat. It’s not wasting time when we’re doing team-building exercises like bowling outings and visits to the arcade. When we’re “in the trenches”, MF-ing someone under our breathe for another ill-informed email, having a strong foundation of relationships built outside of the computer screen Zoom call injects humanity into our lives and reminds us about concepts like “assume positive intent”.
3. Implement Robust Cybersecurity Measures
With remote work, cybersecurity becomes a top priority. Protecting sensitive information requires robust measures such as VPNs, two-factor authentication, and regular employee training. Cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier recommends a comprehensive approach to securing remote work setups, ensuring that both the organization and its employees are protected from potential threats. Part of this strategy can also incorporate company stipends to ensure high-quality internet is available at your house. I know I’ve struggled with reliable internet (looking at YOU, Spectrum), and having to work outside the house on non-secured WiFi connections adds an additional wrinkle.
4. Prioritize Employee Well-being and Mental Health
Remote work can blur the lines between professional and personal life, potentially affecting mental health. Leaders should prioritize employee well-being by offering flexible working hours and access to mental health resources. Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, discusses the critical role of mental health support in workplace productivity, advising leaders to implement policies that support their employees' mental health and well-being. This is the one I struggle with the most, as remote work has turned into me being available nearly around the clock. I’m a work-in-progress on this.
5. Provide Necessary Tools and Resources
Equipping employees with the necessary tools and resources is fundamental for remote work success. This includes providing high-quality hardware, reliable software, and ergonomic furniture. Jeff Robbins, founder of Lullabot, underscores the necessity of investing in quality tools for remote employees, ensuring they have everything they need to perform their tasks efficiently and comfortably. The same rules apply here for what I mentioned in #3 - companies can subsidize your internet connection and/or mobile phone.
6. Encourage Continuous Learning and Development
In a rapidly changing work environment, continuous learning is crucial. Leaders should encourage their teams to engage in online courses, virtual workshops, and certifications. Josh Bersin, an HR industry analyst, stresses the value of continuous learning in maintaining a competitive advantage in a remote work environment, advising leaders to provide opportunities for professional development and growth. Not all of the offerings are free, however, so companies leading in this space subsidize the costs that their employees are expected to handle when expanding their minds.
Take-aways
Adopting these best practices can help organizational leaders create a productive, engaging, and supportive remote work environment. By establishing clear communication channels, fostering a strong organizational culture, implementing robust cybersecurity measures, prioritizing employee well-being, providing necessary tools, and encouraging continuous learning, leaders can ensure their remote teams thrive.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that hybrid work is being classified as best practice by many leaders in this space, and neither of these options will suffice for roles like firefighters and police officers - have to be boots on the ground for those roles. Hybrid work is the attempt at the perfect balance between “how we’ve always done it” and embracing what we’ve learned from the pandemic and “working globally” in the fullest use of that phrase. Leaders like Dr. Adam Grant are elevating experts in the “how we work” space, and Dr. Grant was kind enough to point me in the direction of Nick Bloom. His work can be found here, and here’s the link to Dr. Grant’s podcast talking about hybrid work (Apple | Spotify | Transcript) including interviewing Bloom.
One final note here is that I’ve noticed a generational difference in preference of where we should be working. The majority of companies are led by individuals who put in decades of in-office work to get where they are, and it can be a tough look to see none of your employees in the office when you yourself prefer to be in the office. Like anything, working outside of the home office will always require establishing trust on both sides, and no one can argue with productivity!
*Note: first blog post I’ve written that was aided by ChatGPT. Awesome technology.