Ways of Working that Supports the 'New Norm': Remote Teams

In this environment, where work and the way we work has been turned upside down, we need to relook at where we can as individuals add value. I've been working as a gig worker/freelancer for a number of years now, and the recent events have certainly had an impact on my own business. My customers have done as what most other companies have done to batten down the hatches, firstly turning off the tap to any non-employees (me!) and then look at ways to reduce wages bill (through cuts to salary) and ultimately, making people redundant. 

My normal 'gig' is working with companies that are developing products and bringing them to market, helping them to super-charge their innovation engine through best-practices, processes and systems. It's part "work practices" and part "digital tools to support those practices".

More recently, I've been working not just with the product development teams, but the other teams in the organisation that are more operational, e.g., customer success, sales, marketing, etc. It makes a lot of sense including these areas as well as having a successful product isn't just building the product.  It's gaining market awareness of the product.  It's being able to easily sell the product.  And it’s how we support it and the customers using the product. Drop the ball on any of these areas; the product and company as a whole isn't going to be as successful as it could be.  These practices bring the different teams together, and the transparency it provides across the company means that the company is operating more effectively and aligned with the strategy.

My customers benefited from this in the normal office environment pre-Covid-19, by breaking down the silo's that naturally form.  But the side-benefit is that it has set them up very well to work remotely and even with the current Covid-19 lockdown, they have still been able to operate effectively.

And as we inch towards the ending of the Covid-19 lockdown, some of these habits we have developed during the lockdown will most likely become the norm, such as some team members working remotely.  But the question is whether without making any changes to the way of working, is it sustainable?

Pre, During and Post-Covid-19

Pre-Covid lockdown, team members were working side by side in the office and being in close proximity with constant communication, even though things can be messy, teams were able to work collaboratively to get things done.

During Covid-19 lockdown, team members have in most cases simply been moved themselves and their computer to their homes and have tried to continue working the same way.  Some have found themselves being much more productive at home due to the lack of disruptions.  But others, particularly with young kids, it's been extremely disruptive to them being able to work effectively.  And in the situation where certain team members were poor communicators and difficult to manage in the office, it's only got harder working with them remotely.

Interestingly, a new term has appeared: "Zoom fatigue", where people have found themselves spending a good portion of their days in meetings via videoconference (Zoom, Skype, Hangouts, etc) in order to keep things operating and how taxing it is on the brain.

During Covid-19 lockdown, in most cases it's just come down to people doing the best they can under the circumstances.  But is it sustainable longer term for them, their family or the company they work for? 

If trying to keep operating like they were in an office situation, it's not sustainable.

So what needs to change for it to be sustainable?  In fact, can we make it even more effective?

The New Way of Working

This is where I reflect on the work I was doing with companies pre-Covid-19 and the positive benefits my customers were gaining and the fact that they were able to transition to operate remotely so easily.  And it's sustainable.

In actual fact the need for "work practices" and part "digital tools to support those practices" plays an even more critical role.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to write a series of blogs describe various aspects of this new way of working with the hope that you may be able to apply some of the practices and tools to your own companies.

Watch this space!