Some people out there have undoubtedly had a difficult time managing the realities we’re all facing.
I’ve heard many business leaders bandy about the phrase, “back to normal,” as if society hasn’t experienced a monumental shift. Everybody throughout the world is behaving differently than ever before. Even the Harvard Business Review is talking about it.
More specifically, the pandemic’s looming threat has made “remote” the rule instead of the exception. That goes for how people spend their money on top of how they’re working. Now people work and consume from almost anywhere.
Many businesses that were once thriving are seeing their fortunes change. Whether that means drastically downsizing, shrinking in scope, or shutting down altogether, it’s been trying.
Of course, other industries and professionals have thrived because of the “new normal.” For example, if you’re a streaming service or have mastered delivery and digital marketing, you’re likely flourishing in 2020.
Regardless, many methods that were once conducive to profits and staying ahead have been left in the dust. You’ll only stay ahead during these tumultuous, unpredictable circumstances as an organization by adhering to these philosophies:
- Building a framework that’s comfortable with the unsureness of the market.
- Embracing the unknown.
- Accepting that productive work can be done anywhere—no matter what:
The Power of Pivoting
No matter your organization, it’s up to you to find a way to operate most efficiently—based on the circumstances.
With everything in complete disarray right now, it doesn’t make sense to go against the grain. The world is moving one way, don’t try to travel the other direction.
If you try to force everybody to work in one place, at the same time, it might not be sustainable and could end up gravely costing you in the long run.
You need a model that brings stability during unstable times. Something that allows you to pivot with consumer and economic behaviors that will likely continue to change at a whim. When your organization is structured in a way to mold, form, and transform itself, it’s highly adaptable and likely to stay ahead of the pack.
In fact, long before “pandemic” had made its way into anybody’s lexicon, the principles of innovation dictated that companies rapidly evolve and question everything they do.
It’s now more important than ever to mirror that innovative approach. Your business can’t afford to fall in love with one way of doing things and over-committing. After all, what’s profitable today, can end up irrelevant tomorrow—whether it’s due to a government ruling, or the latest social media trend.
With all this said, I’d imagine you’re asking yourself one critical question:
How you prepare your business for the unknown?
Equipping Teams to Work from Anywhere
The most direct way to establishing a framework that keeps you ready to pivot is by trimming your budgetary fat. This notion necessitates spending a reasonable amount of money in a given direction (or directions), failing fast and cheap, and moving forward with minimal damage.
It seems, then, like a no-brainer that you’d want to assess every way to save money, so every last cent is spent strategically and efficiently.
Therefore, you must identify your most glaring expense, which is the least effective form of spending.
Since an astronomical number of employees aren’t working at an office anymore, it’s time to rid yourself of that redundant real estate. The technology is clearly there for your workforce to do the job remotely, whether at home, a café, the library, or anywhere else you can imagine.
Why pay for square footage that isn’t wholly unnecessary?
Now, there are obviously issues with manufacturing and shipping businesses needing factories and warehouses to function. Even still, not all employees need to be in these buildings.
Organizations that require in-person employees should only pay for just enough space, so that essential work to get done. Reducing the size of working facilities and allowing desk workers to stay at home is extremely cost-efficient.
The Human Element
The current paradigm shift in how people are performing their jobs goes beyond dollars and cents.
Not to dwell too long on the pandemic, but the population’s anxieties have never been higher about gathering in groups. They’re concerned about their health and the safety of their families and friends. Forcing people to go into the office – for the foreseeable future – is an incredibly callous demand. There’s the potential for employee disenfranchisement, burnout, and overall disengagement.
Showing your employees a lack of empathy is a self-fulfilling prophecy—they’ll treat you how they’ve been treated. When it comes time to make those extra efforts, they won’t be so willing.
Plus, unhappy staff will sprint out the door the moment a new job opportunity arises—let’s not even delve into the cost of frequent employee turnover.
In today’s landscape, the most satisfied, focused, and productive employees work remotely.
Remote Work isn’t Easy.
I’m obviously a proponent of remote work—but it’d be naïve to ignore the many obstacles it presents.
Employees – far and wide – have predominantly been used to performing their roles at an office. The vast majority have operated that way for the bulk of their working lives. There are many behaviors one becomes accustomed to under these circumstances.
Conversely, left to our own devices, we’re dealt almost too much freedom. Whether we’re in our home office with screaming kids in the background or a local café packed with loud teens, there are plenty of distractions.
Without a “place to be,” remaining centered and focused on the various tasks at hand becomes a Herculean struggle.
Yes, commuting to the office is a universal inconvenience. Whereas working from home (or close to home) offsets the travel, improving one’s quality of life. But making this shift blurs the lines between work life and home life, which is a tricky boundary to navigate.
Here’s the thing about these pitfalls and road bumps—they pale in comparison to the benefits of getting your remote workers on the same page.
The caveat, though, is that you must figure out how to give employees the proper support to work from home and ensure they’re firing on all cylinders.
Setting Remote Workers Up for Success
You’re not going to find any success with your remote work initiative by leaving everyone to their own devices.
Time and effort must be allocated toward crafting a support system and operation methods that address and leverage remote work’s nuances. A litany of factors will dictate the productivity and effectiveness of your team in such a setting.
Matters such as meetings, planning, connectivity, data-sharing, data storage, cybersecurity, etc. necessitate reassessment and examination. Procedures must be tweaked and altered to fit a remote work system. Furthermore, you must make yourself available and accessible to your employees when they need your guidance.
Crafting and honing this kind of remote framework on your own can be an uphill struggle. Beyond that, educating your employees on how to thrive in these circumstances is entirely unprecedented.
Fortunately, there’s something that can make this process far more seamless. It’s called the “Work From Almost Anywhere™” training program. You can download a free PDF on it here.
Embarking on this course will provide in-depth, actionable insights. You’ll gain practical knowledge on the ins and outs of setting up your business to thrive while your teams work from almost anywhere.
