Introduction
The global COVID-19 pandemic has upturned our way of living and working. The majority of humankind is under some kind of isolation, lock-down, quarantine or social distancing order from their local government.
Knowledge workers have started working full-time from home in the COVID-19 scenario. While most have past experience in working remotely from home, it was perhaps for 1-2 days in a week and not for an extended period of weeks or months.
This is the first time in history, that all levels of the organization – from the CEO down to the new intern – are working and collaborating remotely, internally and externally.
This unprecedented situation requires new ways of working which can be summarized as the six principles of R.E.M.O.T.E work in COVID-19 – Rituals, Engagement, Methods, Oversimplify, Transformation and Endurance.
Rituals:
In a remote working scenario, work bleeds into personal and family time. Before you know it, you have spent the entire day in virtual meetings and are now answering emails and preparing spreadsheets and presentations at the end of the day. Recognizing that this pace is not sustainable is the first step in developing rituals, habits and practices for remote work. Some of these rituals include starting and ending the day at predetermined times, taking regular breaks, time for lunch and other pre-built activities that break the monotony of screen time. Repetition of this schedule on a daily basis will lead to habits that will build mental and memory muscle for the long run.
Engagement:
It is critical to maintain engagement and communication with your team-members and colleagues in a prolonged remote work environment. It is difficult to replace the “normal” workplace socialization and there is an inherent danger of losing the human touch experienced during shared lunches, coffees and water-cooler sessions. Managers should make a concerted effort to replicate some of these social interactions in a virtual team setting.
Methods:
In a remote working environment, the emphasis should be on the methods, processes and procedures and less on tangible results which are not in control of individuals. Even in normal circumstances, successful outcomes are not assured and the probabilities decrease significantly in a pandemic when the entire economic output is significantly impacted. The sales function is a prime example of successful outcomes which are not in the control of the individuals in the current environment and needs a different set of KPIs to measure performance.
Oversimplify:
The path of least resistance should be adopted in the setting any goals or objectives. The intention should be to make any communication simple to understand and follow. Unnecessary goals, targets and irrelevant measures that are not aligned with a remote working environment should be modified or excluded. Focus on doing a few things with brilliance, rather than racing through a laundry list of goals with mediocrity.
Transformation:
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global economic fallout due to the increasing interdependence of national economic systems. This results in unique challenges and opportunities and may require long term structural and organizational changes to leverage and optimize workforce. Organizations are currently in a reactive mode to the unprecedented speed of change in economic, technology and market conditions brought on as sudden impact of the pandemic. It is imperative that they shift into a proactive mode and alter long term underlying assumptions behind tactical programs and strategic initiatives by adapting them to a transformed workplace.
Endurance:
Remote working, isolation and social distancing will likely be the prevailing norm in the near future. Workers need to treat this situation as a marathon and not a sprint and build the patience, fortitude and mental stamina to adapt to this environment. Adopting a positive mindset based on mindfulness techniques, empathy and kindness for work colleagues, while balancing family and personal commitments will go a long way in emerging out of this challenging situation.
Conclusion
“It Was the Best of Times; It Was the Worst of Times”
Thus began Charles Dickens’ classic novel, “A Tale of Two Cities”, which contrasted and compared the events occurring in London and Paris during the French revolution.
The new paradigm, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, will feel the same. Hopefully, this perceived “worst of times” also presents the opportunity to experience “the best of times”.