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Tag: Remote Workforce

  • Building an Agile Remote Team Is No Easy Feat — But It’s About to Get a Whole Lot Easier Thanks to This Transformative Tool. | Entrepreneur

    Building an Agile Remote Team Is No Easy Feat — But It’s About to Get a Whole Lot Easier Thanks to This Transformative Tool. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In a post-Zoom world, the question, “Are the right people in the room?” persists, even if only metaphorically. However, having all the relevant cross-functional team members present remotely may not eliminate the danger of silos as effectively as everyone being physically present. Yet, there is a solution beyond the old debate about returning to the office. The tools of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have the potential to create fully immersive environments that give business leaders the best of both worlds.

    In my experience helping mid-level and senior managers in the tech industry become better leaders of their teams, I have found that applying agile methodology is the best way to align teams, but it has proven challenging in remote environments. “Agile” is a project-management methodology that grew out of the software development industry in the early 2000s as a means of delivering work incrementally and collaboratively to allow for frequent course corrections. Its lessons are especially applicable to industries where there is a need for adaptability and responsiveness to change, such as e-commerce and marketing.

    However, remote team members with different expertise tend to communicate blindly without fully understanding each other’s capabilities. This is where the metaverse comes into the picture. Those issues could be solved in a digital universe where employee avatars collaborate in a simulated office and interact directly with products and services in this virtual space. By adopting core best practices developed for the agile methodology now, such as more frequent feedback and cross-functional collaboration, business leaders are setting the stage to take advantage of this evolution.

    Related: Exploring How Virtual Reality is Changing Startups

    Unlock efficiency and collaboration

    The metaverse is not the stuff of science fiction. Advocates of the next internet say it is poised to shift our working lives in the same way that social media and mobile devices did in the web’s first iteration. With 61% of managers citing communication as the biggest challenge of remote work, the metaverse promises to re-introduce some of the elements of in-person collaboration.

    In a video environment, extra effort is required to engage directly and transparently about the expectations and capabilities of each person. However, the metaverse could enhance the ability of everyone to continuously move toward a shared goal. Last year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Lower Saxony, Germany, piloted workshops in a virtual environment designed and constructed by PwC. In the resulting study, participants wearing VR headsets found the metaverse process far more agile and efficient than videoconferencing, and their sense of closeness with colleagues rose by 58%.

    Customized virtual offices may have a unique role in meeting the agile ideal, where every person on the team, including the product manager, has an equal opinion. But you don’t have to wait for this tech to go mainstream to experience the benefits of agile. The key is to give teams clear visibility into project roadmaps and identify where and why teams are not escalating issues promptly.

    Drive value from being fully present

    The daily “stand-up” is the most important aspect of the popular agile scrum framework. Teams get 15 minutes of daily face time, and it must be quick and easy: Here’s what a person did yesterday, this is what they’re doing today, and these are their “blockers” (obstacles). The team operates as equals, while the single point of contact — the scrum master — can assist in making priority decisions.

    But when teams lose face-to-face time in digital collaborative spaces, they lose the stand-up. Before, if someone stated a blocker, the entire team would be present to discuss a way around it. This system was designed to allow agile teams to solve problems on the spot. The challenge for remote teams is retaining the same speed of agile in an environment where people often aren’t as engaged.

    When the metaverse comes around, “standing up” will again become possible through avatars and a virtual scrum board. Until then, managers need to encourage open communication and ensure the right individuals are empowered to make decisions. I also suggest demonstrating to people, not just telling them, that mistakes are learning opportunities in a blameless culture.

    Break down silos virtually

    If a virtual workspace is well-designed with optimized visibility, teams may find themselves naturally drawn towards breaking down silos through open, transparent communication. That means evaluating whether the team can keep track of what the problems really are as the market shifts, as well as looking at the team’s execution style.

    Begin to experiment with this approach by ensuring that people are not left to tackle problems alone. That is when they tend not to escalate, and everything slows down. If you are not already using daily stand-ups, use these sprint sessions to allow the entire team to know the tasks, the problems, and how the problems might be blocking individuals from completing the tasks.

    People need to feel confident owning their decisions because businesses don’t have the luxury of time anymore. As we head into our brave new future, having all components of a virtual workplace reflect change in real-time will bring everyone up to speed and leverage the values of simulated face-to-face interactions.

    Related: The Metaverse Has Definitely Lost Steam — But Is It Dead?

    Paving the way for confident decision-making

    In an enterprise metaverse environment, asking if everyone is in the room can once again be asked more literally — enhanced by audio-spatial technology that means the person to your right really sounds like they are to your right. Comfort with conflict and confident decision-making may prove easier with everyone more present. To leaders considering experimenting with metaverse platforms, McKinsey suggests adopting a test-and-learn mindset. Start small by integrating select elements, such as virtual whiteboards or project rooms, into your existing workflows to not only see how your team responds — but to gauge the potential of this technology. Where digital collaboration tools pose challenges, an enterprise metaverse promises to help companies build highly engaged remote teams that are quick on their feet and able to swiftly work toward a profitable MVP.

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    Mary Hubbard

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  • 43-Year-Old’s Remote Side Hustle Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month | Entrepreneur

    43-Year-Old’s Remote Side Hustle Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month | Entrepreneur

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    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Sam Ziegler, a 43-year-old drummer based out of New York who has a side hustle providing support on Geeker, which offers on-demand help from IT and software experts.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Sam Ziegler

    When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?

    My passion is music, but the gigs, and therefore the income, are not always consistent, so relying on it as a full-time career is not realistic. I started with Geeker in July 2023. I have many years of IT experience and was hoping something like Geeker existed, a remote side hustle where I could apply my skill set to help people solve their computer problems. I was conducting some research on Google and discovered Geeker. My inspiration is my family and the opportunity to help people. Knowing that you make someone else’s life easier by solving computer issues is a very fulfilling feeling.

    What were some of the first steps you took to get started with the side hustle?

    I filled out the registration form to become a Geeker, answered a few technical questions they used to measure and qualify my expertise and then had a Zoom interview. After the interview, I was approved as a Geeker.

    Related: I Made Over $400,000 From a Side Hustle on Top of My 6-Figure Salary Last Year. I Love Diversified Income — and This Game-Changing Money-Saver.

    What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during your side hustle journey, and how did you navigate them?

    I am now 43 and have been playing music for 28 years. I went to vocational school for computer repair in 1999 and took a job with IDT. While there, I became skilled in telecom and got certified in Cisco networking technology. Around that time, I was splitting time between the Newark office and the IDT offices in Manhattan. Then September 11 happened, and the towers fell close to the building I was commuting to, and I thought, Life is too short. I left IDT to pursue music full-time. I have been playing weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs and concerts and recording music ever since.

    Along the way, I have kept my tech skills fresh by taking jobs here and there, but oftentimes, they didn’t have the flexibility I needed to keep doing my passion — music-related work. This past summer, I was looking for work as the summer season of busy music gigs was slowing, and I was trying to cobble together something that enabled me to use my tech skills where and when I wanted. I have a family now and had considered driving for Uber and Lyft to bring in some income, but I had some safety concerns and wanted to work from home. I came across Geeker, and it was exactly what I was looking for. I earn between $70-$90 an hour and work as much and as little as I need to, all from the comfort of home. I also get to help people, which I love.

    Related: At 23, She Started a Side Hustle for ‘Quick Money.’ Now the Business Brings in More Than $1 Million a Month — and Boasts Celebrity Fans.

    How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much does the side hustle bring in on a monthly basis now?

    It varies every month because of the nature of what I do, but I average roughly $2,700 a month for about 28 hours of work. In the months that I have more time, I log in to Geeker to take on more, but on the average month, I only work about an hour each day.

    What’s your favorite part about working on the platform?

    Helping people from different parts of the world no matter where they are. The money component is just a small benefit I receive from doing something good for someone else. To me, money is a bonus and is secondary to the main reason I use Geeker for my side hustle.

    Related: The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

    What’s your advice for others hoping to be successful on Geeker or with any side hustle?

    If you have the time, patience, passion to help people and a basic knowledge of how to fix computer problems, you can be on the right path to succeed on Geeker. “Success is about the journey, not the destination” is a life lesson I integrate into everything I do.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • Bosses Said Workers Will Be Back In The Office After Labor Day (Or Else) — But Did They Succeed? Not Exactly. | Entrepreneur

    Bosses Said Workers Will Be Back In The Office After Labor Day (Or Else) — But Did They Succeed? Not Exactly. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Numerous companies, ranging from Meta to Amazon and Blackrock, announced Labor Day as the key date in their return-to-office push this year — as they did in previous years. Numerous headlines spoke of “a post-Labor Day reset” and described how “Enough, Bosses Say: This Fall, It Really Is Time to Get Back to the Office.”

    Experts predicted that office attendance, which hovered around 50% in major U.S. cities this year, according to the “Back to Work Barometer” from the security company Kastle Systems, would grow significantly. For example, JLL, the real estate and investment management firm, said it would reach “between 55 and 65 percent.”

    Well, now that we’re approaching that time of resolution of predictions, it’s time to reassess the Labor Day push. Did it succeed, or did it flop?

    The data speaks: An initial surge, then a drop

    Executives and pro-office analysts envisaged a high tide of employees coming in, with an initial wave cresting shortly after Labor Day and continued growth after this initial wave. After a period filled with preparation, significant corporate announcements and employees gearing up for the anticipated office return, the data painted a much more complex picture.

    As summer vacations came to an end, there was a noticeable surge in the number of employees returning to their office spaces, increasing from 47% to over 50%. This was, perhaps, a combination of pent-up optimism, organizational pressures and the general hope that things were “returning to normal.” For a brief moment, it appeared as though the post-Labor Day return-to-office (RTO) strategy was working.

    However, a deeper dive into the data indicates this initial rise might have been deceptive. Was it merely the result of the confluence of summer vacations ending and the RTO push rather than a genuine, sustainable interest in returning to physical workplaces?

    Following this initial spike, pro-office CEOs and experts anticipated continued growth in attendance. To their chagrin, instead, they witnessed a decline. There’s a noticeable dip, so much so that current numbers are at the average of 50% or lower at most points earlier this year.

    If it lasted for a week or two, we could call this downturn just a mere statistical blip. By now, that perspective has become untenable. This development poses challenging questions and undeniably casts doubts over the effectiveness of the RTO strategy. It beckons experts and leaders alike to introspect: Was the strategy rooted deeply enough in understanding the evolved psyche of the modern worker, or was it a superficial attempt to recapture a past that perhaps no longer aligns with the present aspirations and constraints of the global workforce?

    Related: You Should Let Your Team Decide Their Approach to Hybrid Work. A Behavioral Economist Explains Why and How You Should Do It.

    The realities of a changed workplace

    The evolving dynamics of the workplace landscape in the aftermath of the pandemic cannot be overstated. The transition was not solely about physical relocation; it encapsulated a holistic shift in how we perceive and engage with our work environments.

    In my consulting projects aiding clients with RTO strategies, including this Fall after Labor Day, I conducted focus groups with employees, delving deep into their experiences and perspectives on the post-pandemic work environment. Their insights have been invaluable in painting a holistic picture of the evolving workplace landscape.

    Throughout the pandemic, these employees had significantly restructured their work habits. Adapting to the demands of remote work, many curated dedicated home office spaces that rivaled professional setups, emphasizing comfort and efficiency. They became proficient in virtual collaboration tools, substituting face-to-face meetings with digital alternatives and swapping casual office chats for virtual catch-ups. The elimination of daily commutes was a standout benefit, with many individuals redirecting that time toward professional development or personal wellbeing.

    Upon re-entry to traditional office environments, initial reactions were steeped in nostalgia. Employees appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and immerse themselves in a familiar setting. However, this initial enthusiasm was relatively short-lived. The focus group discussions highlighted a growing awareness of the downsides previously taken for granted in office work. From grappling with rush-hour traffic to the hurdles of coordinating hybrid meetings and the diminished flexibility they had grown fond of during remote work, the challenges began to overshadow the benefits.

    Furthermore, health-related apprehensions were a consistent theme in these discussions. While the world has seen significant strides in combating the pandemic, its echoes remained in the form of lingering concerns about congregating in shared spaces, interacting in communal areas or navigating public transportation. Periodic news about emerging virus variants only exacerbated these feelings of unease.

    The focus on wellbeing in the focus groups resonated with a recent report from Gympass. Its findings show that employees positioned in an environment that doesn’t align with their preference are twice as likely to report feelings of struggle compared to those in their desired setting. Moreover, the capacity for employees to care for their wellbeing is intricately linked to their work environment. A robust 77% of individuals in their preferred workplace, whether that be entirely in-office, a hybrid model, or fully remote, express confidence in managing their wellbeing effectively. In contrast, this sentiment dips to 65% for those yearning for a different setup.

    Perhaps one of the most telling statistics from Gympass’s report is that over a third of all employees wish for a shift in their work setting to better align with their preferences. This substantial proportion underscores the pressing need for organizations to prioritize employee-centric strategies in defining their post-pandemic work paradigms. Recognizing and accommodating these preferences isn’t just about employee satisfaction; it directly influences productivity, wellbeing and overall company culture.

    In sum, the insights gathered from these focus groups underscored a critical realization: the post-pandemic work landscape isn’t about reverting to familiar norms. Instead, it’s a dynamic interplay of old routines, new preferences, and the continuous quest for a balanced, sustainable work model.

    The role of cognitive biases in the Labor Day RTO

    The widely anticipated post-Labor Day RTO push did not materialize as expected. While logistical and health concerns certainly played their roles, underlying cognitive biases significantly shaped the strategies and expectations of both employers and employees. Specifically, the status quo bias and the optimism bias played pivotal roles in the misconceived projections and subsequent responses.

    Many corporate leaders, influenced by the status quo bias, harbored a strong inclination to revert to pre-pandemic office dynamics. The office-centric work model was seen as the conventional and established approach, and thus, there was a strong push to return to it post-haste. This bias likely led many decision-makers to underestimate the shift in employee preferences and the genuine value many found in remote work. They assumed that since the office work model was the “standard” before the pandemic, it should naturally be the desired state after. This underestimation was glaringly evident when a significant number of employees resisted the post-Labor Day RTO, favoring the new status quo of remote work.

    The optimism bias caused a miscalculation on both sides of the RTO debate. On one hand, organizational leaders might have been overly optimistic about employees’ eagerness to return to the office. This overconfidence led to projections that did not match reality, resulting in vacant office spaces and misallocated resources.

    Conversely, some employees might have been overly optimistic about the continued feasibility and desirability of full-time remote work. While remote work offers several benefits, the optimism bias might have made some overlook the value of in-person interactions, networking opportunities, and team cohesion that an office environment fosters.

    The failed post-Labor Day RTO push serves as a case study on the importance of recognizing and accounting for cognitive biases in decision-making. By understanding these inherent tendencies, businesses can develop more accurate strategies and projections, ensuring that future transitions are smoother and more in tune with actual needs and preferences.

    Related: Why Hybrid Work Will Win Out Over Remote and In-Person — Whether You Like It or Not.

    Action steps for leaders: Navigating the RTO landscape

    Here’s what my focus groups revealed as the key action steps for leaders going forward if they want to navigate RTO effectively in a way that facilitates collaboration and innovation, reduces attrition and disengagement, and minimizes noncompliance and resistance.

    • Conduct regular employee surveys and focus groups: It’s imperative for leaders to maintain a pulse on employee sentiment. Regular feedback loops can offer invaluable insights into changing workplace preferences, concerns and aspirations. By creating open channels of communication, you signal to your employees that their perspectives are valued and integral to decision-making.
    • Re-evaluate the return-to-office strategy: Given the evolving landscape, it may be time to reassess your organization’s RTO strategy. Leaders should be open to iterating on plans, embracing flexibility, and making adjustments based on data, feedback, and current realities.
    • Prioritize employee wellbeing: As the Gympass report suggests, wellbeing is closely tied to work environment preferences. Consider implementing programs or resources dedicated to mental health, stress relief and overall wellbeing. This not only supports individual employees but also contributes to a more productive and harmonious workplace.
    • Invest in hybrid infrastructure: Recognizing that one size doesn’t fit all, consider investments in technology and infrastructure that support both in-office and remote work seamlessly. This includes robust video conferencing tools, collaborative software, and flexible office spaces designed for hybrid teams.
    • Offer flexibility and autonomy: Allow employees the autonomy to choose their work settings based on their roles, responsibilities and personal preferences. A more personalized approach to work arrangements can lead to greater job satisfaction and enhanced productivity.
    • Engage in transparent communication: Openly discuss the company’s stance, decisions, and the reasons behind them. By being transparent, you build trust and foster a culture of understanding and collaboration.
    • Stay updated on global and local health guidelines: While it may seem obvious, it’s crucial to ensure that your workplace adheres to the latest health and safety guidelines. This not only minimizes health risks but also reassures employees that their safety is a top priority.
    • Consider external consultation: Given the complexity and novelty of the current work landscape, consider engaging external experts, consultants or think tanks that specialize in future-of-work strategies. Their insights could provide fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.
    • Prepare for continuous evolution: The post-pandemic work world is still in flux. Leaders should adopt a mindset of continuous evolution, regularly revisiting strategies, seeking feedback, and being willing to pivot as circumstances and preferences evolve.

    In the end, successful navigation of the RTO landscape hinges on a leader’s ability to blend data-driven decisions with empathy, flexibility and foresight. It’s a challenging journey, but with the right approach, organizations can forge a path that aligns with the needs of both the business and its employees.

    Conclusion

    Let’s be clear: pro-office CEOs and experts failed in their predictions and policies around the post-Labor Day RTO. The failed push serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges that lie ahead in defining our post-pandemic work landscape. The very premise of it, anchored in hope and expectation, reveals the distance between aspiration and the practical realities faced by the global workforce. Data, anecdotal evidence and deep dives into employees’ experiences converge on a singular truth: the future of work isn’t about rehashing the past, but about sculpting a new future that resonates with current needs, aspirations, and realities.

    While nostalgic sentiments may pull us toward traditional office environments, the events unfolding post-Labor Day underscore the necessity for a more nuanced approach. The ebbs and flows in office attendance numbers are not merely statistical anomalies; they’re a testament to the profound transformation in work culture and worker psyche. To truly evolve, organizational leaders must embrace a proactive and empathetic leadership style that prioritizes listening, flexibility, and genuine consideration of employee preferences. The pathway forward isn’t about mandates or date-driven pushes but about creating an environment where both the organization and its members can thrive. Only by recognizing and addressing the multifaceted dimensions of this complex issue can we craft a workplace model that stands resilient, adaptive and sustainable in a world forever changed by the pandemic.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • The Importance of Building Trust When Working Remotely or From Home | Entrepreneur

    The Importance of Building Trust When Working Remotely or From Home | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Before the pandemic, one of the most pressing questions about work was whether working from home was feasible. Now, with the crisis having accelerated the adoption of newer technologies by up to seven years, the question for most businesses is not whether working from home is possible but whether working from home or going into the office is better.

    Employers have many points to consider in this decision, such as their budget, the nature of the work, and the number of employees. But the most important factor that weighs into the equation is trust.

    Related: 3 Ways to Build Trust Among Employees

    Workers are adults, so treat them as such

    Consider a parent and their child. If the parent didn’t trust their child, they might not send the child to school or let them explore the world. Instead, they would micromanage and tell the child what to do about everything.

    Good parents want to build a trusting relationship that matures to a level where, even though the parent and child eventually might not be together, the parent knows the child is doing well and has learned enough to be successful on their own.

    The employer-employee relationship is much the same. Employees are already at their own level of success. They have learned enough that they do not need the employer to micromanage everything for them. So, why would an employer want to make the employee dependent on the employer to make the work-from-home decision? The employees are capable of making that decision for themselves. The simple answer is trust. They need employers to trust them if they are going to keep growing and doing their best work.

    Underneath this point, there is a difference between micromanaging and mentoring. Micromanaging means that the person in authority forces someone to act or think a certain way and gives them no choice. But with mentoring, directives and boundaries are respectfully done. The person being mentored has clear guidance, but they are free to make their own decisions and learn from their wins and losses. A mentoring employer would clearly explain to workers the pros and cons of each setup and trust that workers will make the decision that gets good outcomes for both the workers and the employer.

    Related: 10 Tips to Unlock Better Collaboration and Creativity for Remote Workers

    Finding the truth about what’s happening

    Employers have many legitimate reasons why they might want to bring workers back to the office. People need emotional and physical contact — workers might genuinely miss each other. There might be some gap in digital communication that cannot be felt until people see each other — perhaps they are missing the water cooler effect.

    Many employers have said their plan to bring employees back into the office is due to productivity. But even looking at productivity can be misleading. An employer might be convinced that the organization is not getting as much return as it would if workers were in the office. They might think that, by bringing people back to the office, they can train, supervise, and make those people better employees.

    But it could be that some of the workers the employer is measuring may not have been that productive initially. It’s just that having the workers work from home forced the employer to do a formal measurement of productivity, which made the lack of productivity from those workers more obvious. Employers need to examine their situations holistically and be open-minded to alternative explanations for what they see to ensure their assessment of what is going on is accurate.

    Related: We Know Return to Office Mandates Backfire — So Why Are Tech Giants Like Amazon, IBM and Zoom Reinstating This Outdated Policy?

    Challenge, connect and collaborate

    Even though the senior-most person might not have enough experience to make a decision, they often do make the decision because it is expected. With work-from-home, this might mean that an executive who has never handled a work-from-home setup decides workers should return to the office only because many companies are doing it.

    But in an open-minded organization, other people are allowed to brainstorm with the senior-most person. They will examine and challenge the executive’s decision, not to denigrate but to improve the outcome. Collaborative brainstorming allows leaders at all levels to properly articulate who should consider coming into the office, when, why, and so on, rather than simply handing down the decision.

    To grasp why this is so important, think of an employee who loves their job but has moved two hours away because the employer said they were okay with a work-from-home setup. If a leader then says the employee has to come back to the office, that employee might be scared they are going to lose their job. They might say to themselves, “I don’t want to sell my house. I don’t want to uproot my family and move.”

    So employers need to understand that people are not all the same. Workers all have different attitudes, aptitudes, experiences and education. They each thrive in their own environment, and if an employer puts them out of their environment, they become like whales stranded on an island — they don’t fit. If employers and employees take the time to get to know each other online and offline, they will understand these differences better, making the work-from-home decision easier and improving buy-in.

    Because employees must get to know each other, employers must figure out the best way to encourage people to meet, bond, and collaborate during work hours. There are many tools to unite employees, and what works for one organization might not work for another. Workers might try having an online pizza party where the team members might not be physically present but are all participating in their homes on video. Workers need to have opportunities to train in a way that matches their rhythm to the rhythm of the other employees.

    Related: The Most Common Work From Home Problems — And How to Solve Them.

    All for one and one for all

    Every organization has its own resources, goals and cultural expectations. So workers and leaders must approach the work-from-home decision objectively and think about what’s best for their own business. However, employers should not force the decision authoritatively on their workforce. Instead, they should make people part of the decision-making process so that, regardless of whether workers stay home or come back to the office, it’s clear that there is reciprocal trust serving as a foundation for the choice. The more people are willing to learn about each other, the more natural this collaboration will feel, and the more positive the results will be. My 2 cents: to make this happen, a certain number of leaders need to be together, like an office, to bring strategies that benefit all stakeholders to reality.

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    Par Chadha

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  • Prepare For This Seismic Shift in Employee Expectations — Or Say Goodbye to Your Top Talent. | Entrepreneur

    Prepare For This Seismic Shift in Employee Expectations — Or Say Goodbye to Your Top Talent. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Let’s be brutally honest: Would you stick with your company if it failed to prioritize your wellbeing? You’re not alone if the answer is a resounding “no.” Workers are sending a clear message to the corporate world — wellbeing is non-negotiable. Forget the antiquated notion that a hefty paycheck is the ultimate carrot on the stick. The data is in, and it’s irrefutable: workers really care about their wellbeing and flexibility, and corporations better listen if they want to win the talent wars.

    Workers are working less voluntarily

    The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis recently released a paper that delves into why the U.S. labor market has tightened post-pandemic. It focuses on two prongs of this phenomenon: The declining number of workers and the receding number of hours those workers are willing to commit to their jobs.

    In the realm of academic endeavors, one line from this paper feels like a bombshell: “Circumstantial and direct evidence indicates that the hours reduction among workers [from 2019 to 2022] is voluntary. In addition, although the reduction may have been caused by the pandemic situation, it is expected to persist.” This is not a fleeting, reactionary change. Rather, it’s an enduring shift in worker behavior and priorities, revealing a collective reassessment of what’s truly valuable in life.

    This shift is most pronounced among men, particularly those with college degrees and those in their main working years. It signals that the individuals who traditionally occupied power seats in the corporate world are stepping back, reassessing their options, and consciously opting for a reality that allows them to live fuller lives outside their cubicles. And here’s where it gets interesting: It’s those men who were already logging in more hours and earning more who have chosen to pull back the most. What does that tell us? These are not decisions of necessity but are based on the realization of an unspoken need for balance, wellness and, dare we say it, happiness.

    What was merely a hunch or a buzzword in corporate seminars is now backed by empirical evidence: Workers are not just saying they desire more from life than work — they are manifesting these desires through tangible actions. This act of self-determination is altering the landscape of labor availability, making this a two-edged sword. On one hand, we are moving toward a more balanced and humane concept of work; on the other, it brings about challenges of labor shortages that cannot be ignored.

    In the corporate arena, this leads to a potentially seismic shift. If you are a business leader failing to account for this fundamental transformation in worker attitudes, prepare for a rude awakening. Worker wellbeing is no longer a “nice-to-have,” it’s a “must-have” if you hope to attract and retain the top-tier talent needed to fuel innovation and growth in an increasingly competitive market.

    This paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis doesn’t merely add an interesting viewpoint to the dialogue about the future of work. It serves as a clarion call for the immediate reevaluation of long-held assumptions about what motivates people to commit their time and energy to an organization. The time to act is now because, as the Fed suggests, this is not a temporary phenomenon; it’s a deeply rooted, long-lasting transformation that is expected to endure. Ignore it at your own peril.

    Related: Workers Are Disengaged. Here’s How Employers Can Win Them Back.

    The numbers don’t lie

    Gympass’ annual State of Work-Life Wellness Report this October has gifted us some startling figures from a survey of over 5,000 global employees that reinforce the Fed’s findings. A whopping 87% said they would consider jumping ship from a company that disregards employee wellbeing, a notable increase from 77% just a year ago. Moreover, 93% equate wellbeing with salary in terms of importance, up 10 points from last year’s 83%. The clincher? An overwhelming 96% will consider only those companies that give prime importance to employee wellbeing for their next job hunt.

    When it comes to wellbeing and the workplace, there’s a myth that has long been shattered: One size fits all. In reality, our surroundings wield considerable influence on our emotional and psychological states.

    Employees operating in work environments that don’t resonate with their preferences for flexibility — such as remote-capable workers forced to do in-office work due to a top-down mandate against their will — are not just mildly inconvenienced: many are categorically struggling. According to Gympass, workers who find themselves in such discordant settings are twice as likely to describe their condition as “struggling” or “really struggling” than those fortunate enough to be in their ideal work environments. Let’s pause to consider the weight of that statement. It means that a vast swath of employees are grappling with a work setup that not only affects their daily satisfaction but potentially curtails their longer-term mental wellbeing.

    But the report doesn’t stop there; it draws a stark picture of how drastically our sense of wellbeing can be impacted. While 77% of employees working in their preferred flexible environments feel equipped to take care of their wellbeing, this percentage nosedives to a startling 65% for those who don’t have the luxury of such alignment. That 12% differential isn’t merely statistical noise; it’s the loud cry of an unsatisfied and disengaged workforce. And more than a third of employees wish they worked in a different work environment that aligns with their preference.

    Let’s call it what it is: this is a seismic shift in employee expectations. Flexible work arrangements are no longer just attractive benefits to be dangled in front of potential hires. They have transitioned into non-negotiable components of an employment package. Why is this so vital? Because of the nexus between flexibility and wellbeing underpinning workplace satisfaction, engagement, and productivity.

    And herein lies the vulnerability to cognitive biases that can hamstring effective decision-making. One major obstacle is the status quo bias, an innate preference for keeping things the way they are. Business leaders clinging to conventional work arrangements risk not just falling out of step with current trends but also substantially diminishing their appeal to top talent. Another cognitive trap is the empathy gap, wherein decision-makers underestimate the emotional needs and responses of others—particularly their employees. This bias could lead to underestimating just how essential flexibility is to staff wellbeing.

    Related: Back In The Office? Why Your Company’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Is Destined to Fail.

    Strategies for a wellbeing-centric, flexible work ecosystem

    Many corporate leaders are acutely aware of the shifting sands but often stumble when it comes to implementing concrete measures. In my consultancy, Disaster Avoidance Experts, I’ve honed in on specific strategies that businesses can adopt to make a tangible difference. The confluence of wellbeing and work flexibility is more than a passing trend; it’s the new cornerstone of sustainable, profitable operations. Here are some action steps that I strongly advocate for when serving clients.

    First, it’s time to let go of your traditional “nine-to-five, in-the-office” mindset, a relic that is increasingly at odds with today’s dynamic workforce. For those still clinging to a rigid structure, this might feel like a leap into the abyss. However, the alternative is a debilitating anchoring bias — relying too heavily on the first piece of information encountered (in this case, traditional work models) when making decisions. Shake off this outdated mooring and embrace hybrid and even fully remote work options. Use this as an opportunity to gather data on productivity, engagement and wellbeing, adjusting your course as needed.

    Second, pivot to a team-led model for flexibility, where collective decision-making takes precedence over a one-size-fits-all approach. Allow teams to collaboratively determine their work environment — be it remote, in-office or hybrid. This not only fosters a sense of ownership and engagement but also optimizes the unique strengths and requirements of each team. Teams can decide when face-to-face interactions are most beneficial for creative brainstorming or complex problem-solving and when remote work can maximize individual focus and productivity. This approach transcends mere optimization of individual roles; it creates an ecosystem where the team, as a cohesive unit, is empowered to make decisions that maximize its collective effectiveness.

    Third, invest substantively in employee wellbeing through targeted financial support. In an era where 93% of employees view their wellbeing as equally important to salary, your investment in wellness programming is more than just an employee perk — it’s a strategic imperative. Consider offering stipends for mental health support, from licensed therapy to mindfulness apps. Subsidize fitness memberships or offer in-house wellness programs ranging from nutrition seminars to stress management workshops. Financially support ongoing education, not just in terms of professional development but also in areas that contribute to general wellbeing, such as financial literacy courses or parenting classes. By dedicating actual dollars to these initiatives, you’re not only enhancing the quality of life for your employees but also setting a cultural tone that prioritizes wellbeing as much as quarterly earnings. After all, when employees feel their wellbeing is taken seriously, they’re more engaged, productive and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.

    Finally, for those concerned about the economic implications of reduced hours, as highlighted by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, it’s important to recognize that wellbeing and productivity often exist in a symbiotic relationship. My advice? Focus on outcomes rather than hours. Assess performance through deliverables and milestones instead of the antiquated metric of “time spent at the desk.”

    These steps are not mere suggestions; consider them a call to action. Given the skyrocketing significance workers are placing on wellbeing and flexibility, executives and decision-makers can no longer afford to be passive bystanders. Your company’s relevance, appeal, and, ultimately its success are bound up in how adeptly you navigate this paradigm shift. It’s a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces, but the picture it forms is unmistakable: a more humane, flexible and productive future of work.

    Conclusion

    It’s not just about beanbags, free lunches or casual Fridays anymore. The Fed and Gympass data illustrate that wellbeing and flexibility are directly proportional to how engaged, happy and productive employees are. After all, who wants to give their best to a company that treats them as expendable? Your workforce is your most invaluable asset; treat them as such. It is simply illogical to expect top-tier performance from employees who feel neglected and undervalued.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • Do ‘Unplug Days’ Actually Work? Research Says They Might Be the Key to Ending Burnout. | Entrepreneur

    Do ‘Unplug Days’ Actually Work? Research Says They Might Be the Key to Ending Burnout. | Entrepreneur

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    This emerging trend is designed to combat burnout and promote work-life balance, and thus boost productivity.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • We Know This Outdated Policy Kills Innovation — So Why Are Amazon, IBM and Zoom Bringing It Back? | Entrepreneur

    We Know This Outdated Policy Kills Innovation — So Why Are Amazon, IBM and Zoom Bringing It Back? | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you’re a tech leader striving for innovation, you’re shooting yourself in the foot by pushing for aggressive return to office (RTO) mandates. Yes, you heard it right. You might think that statement is counterintuitive and defies conventional corporate wisdom, but its validity is increasingly corroborated by both statistical insights and real-world evidence.

    Tech companies lead the pack on flexibility

    Let’s start with some baseline data. According to the Scoop Flex Report for September 2023, an astonishing 94% of Fortune 500 tech companies offer at least a hybrid or fully remote work model, leaving a mere 6% in the draconian era of full-time office work.

    This finding is confirmed by a groundbreaking research paper — “The Evolution of Work from Home” — by economists Jose Maria Barrero, Nicholas Bloo and Steven J. Davis. Based on their survey, the tech sector leads the pack in flexibility, with an average of 2.6 work-from-home days per week.

    What about the future? As part of the July 2023 Survey of Business Uncertainty, fielded by the Atlanta Fed, Barrero, Bloom, and Davis asked U.S. business executives about the work-from-home outlook at their own firms. The survey responses cover about 500 firms distributed widely across industries, states, and firm size categories. Specifically, they asked: “Looking forward to five years from now, what share of your firm’s full-time employees do you expect to be in each category (fully in-person, hybrid, fully remote) in 2028?” Executives anticipate modest increases over the next five years in both the fully remote share and the hybrid share.

    Yet many tech companies — such as Amazon, IBM, and even Zoom — have announced top-down RTO mandates of several days per week recently. Such mandates are surprising, given recent findings on the importance of flexibility for innovation. Thus, even though tech leads the pack in flexibility, given the particular importance of innovation for tech, leaders in this sector need to seriously reconsider their increasingly inflexible policies.

    Related: The Forced Return to Office is the Definition of Insanity. Here’s Why.

    The mismatch between innovation and RTO strategies

    EY’s Technology Pulse Poll recently unearthed a startling insight: a whopping 78% of senior tech leaders assert that remote work positively impacts their ability to innovate. Now consider this against the background of another compelling statistic: 81% of tech executives have plans to make innovation-related acquisitions in the next six months.

    Ken Englund, EY’s Americas Technology, Media and Telecom leader, acknowledged his surprise at such strong support for remote work boosting productivity. England believes several factors drive this positivity. Remote work expands talent pools beyond geographic borders. It also boosts employee satisfaction by removing commuting time, energizing workers. Do you see the incongruity with top-down RTO mandates?

    The talent gap driving down innovation

    The conundrum deepens when we scrutinize the talent acquisition landscape. According to the EY Work Reimagined survey, 84% of employers, across sectors, are convinced that offering work flexibility is their golden ticket to recruiting top talent. But here’s where the rubber meets the road: employers and employees are locked in a tug-of-war over work arrangements. While 47% of employers still fantasize about their employees gracing the office at least two to three days a week, a stark 50% of knowledge workers are willing to set foot in the office only once a week. The gap isn’t just a tiny fissure; it’s a gaping chasm.

    Indeed, Englund cautions remote work isn’t without trade-offs. Firms must work hard to build cohesive cultures and apprenticeship opportunities traditionally facilitated by in-person proximity. As England summarized, companies have significant work ahead to recreate the “corporate glue” that binds distributed teams.

    However, top-down RTO is not the answer, according to Englund. He believes the recent spate of forced mandates from tech companies signals a command-and-control mentality. That’s the real driver, with justifications of RTO as pursuing spontaneous innovation through random meetings in the hallways simply a fig leaf for a much more authoritarian motive.

    Indeed, the opinions of 78% of senior tech leaders themselves suggest that such command-and-control RTO mindsets will harm innovation. And yet, so many are pursuing such mandates — though fortunately, far from all.

    A case study in fostering innovation through flexibility

    What does excellence look like in this new world of work? Enter Atlassian. My recent interview with Annie Dean, VP of Atlassian’s Team Anywhere, provided an inside look into the future.

    The company deploys a trifurcated strategy to stay ahead:

    • Global talent recruitment: By not restricting work to a single geographic location, Atlassian has opened the floodgates to a reservoir of global talent. This ensures a plethora of diverse viewpoints, which in turn fosters unique problem-solving and innovation.
    • Autonomy-driven employee engagement: Allowing employees to work remotely contributes to a higher level of autonomy. Autonomy often correlates with increased job satisfaction and engagement, which are critical ingredients for innovative thinking.
    • Internal product refinement: Atlassian utilizes its own suite of collaboration tools internally before releasing them to customers, essentially transforming its entire workforce into a testbed for innovation.

    Their “team gatherings” aren’t just sporadic meet-ups but strategically planned sessions to catalyze brainstorming and camaraderie. The company reports a 30% improvement in team cohesion lasting for four to five months after these gatherings, whereas conventional in-office interactions demonstrated no lasting impact.

    The outcome of this approach is far-reaching. It doesn’t just signify a new way of working; it has manifested into a culture where innovation is ingrained. It’s a formula that not only leads to increased engagement but also provides Atlassian a distinct advantage over competitors who are slow to adapt to the new world of work. By encouraging diversity and promoting engagement, Atlassian isn’t just navigating the current business environment; they’re sculpting it.

    Related: We’re Now Finding Out The Damaging Results of The Mandated Return to Office — And It’s Worse Than We Thought.

    The path forward: Disrupt or be disrupted

    If the goal is to innovate, then the means to that end must also be innovative. That’s why I tell the dozen or more tech leaders who ask me every month how to determine what level of flexibility to offer to their teams.

    It’s time to disband forced, top-down RTO policies and adopt flexible work models that empower your employees and enlarge your talent pool. Here’s how:

    • Overhaul RTO policies: Convene a task force to revisit and re-engineer your RTO strategy. Make sure the new model aligns with your innovation goals.
    • Make the office worth the commute: As I tell clients, the only good reasons to come to the office are for intense collaboration, nuanced conversations, socializing and team bonding, and mentoring and on-the-job learning. By contrast, individual tasks are much better done at home.
    • Engage your workforce: Implement a democratic approach by engaging your workforce in the decision-making process. After all, they are the ones who will live this reality.
    • Invest in technology: Robust collaboration tools can not only replicate but also enhance the office experience, making geographical location a non-issue.
    • Cultivate a flexible-first culture: If increasingly flexible work is the future, as research by Barrero, Bloom, and Davis, why not make it your present? A flexible-first culture can be the catalyst for not only innovation through attracting a global talent pool but also boost diversity.
    • Pursue adaptive leadership: Embrace a leadership model that is agile, empathetic, and inclusive. A one-size-fits-all strategy is doomed to fail.

    To survive and thrive in today’s volatile tech landscape, it’s not enough to innovate in your products and services. You must also innovate in your workplace strategies. The future is flexible, and it’s time to bend before you break.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • What is The Future of Coworking Spaces in a Hybrid World? Here’s Everything You Need to Know. | Entrepreneur

    What is The Future of Coworking Spaces in a Hybrid World? Here’s Everything You Need to Know. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    What is the future of coworking spaces in an increasingly hybrid world? As the CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, I’ve been at the epicenter of this seismic shift, helping companies navigate the complexities of hybrid work models. One of the most transformative trends I’ve observed is the decline of traditional office spaces and the meteoric rise of coworking spaces.

    The decline of traditional office spaces

    The traditional office, once a symbol of corporate stability and structure, is rapidly becoming an anachronism in today’s fluid work environment. As companies grapple with the complexities of a post-pandemic world, the limitations of conventional office spaces are becoming increasingly evident. The rigidity of long-term leases, the inefficiency of underutilized spaces, and the financial drain of maintaining large physical footprints are compelling companies to rethink their real estate strategies. No wonder that McKinsey Global Institute estimates that pandemic shifts could erase as much as $1.3 trillion of real estate value in big cities around the world by 2030.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • The Future Is Not Just Flexible — It’s United. How American Flexibility is Redefining Business Practices Worldwide. | Entrepreneur

    The Future Is Not Just Flexible — It’s United. How American Flexibility is Redefining Business Practices Worldwide. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the bustling marketplace of global business, American practices shine as a lighthouse of innovation, adaptability and advancement. Renowned for being the most advanced, they have been exported and embraced across continents. A recent survey conducted by the INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute and Universum provides a tapestry of insights into how American flexibility is redefining business practices worldwide. Similar information comes from a survey published in the Harvard Business Review, called the Survey of Business Uncertainty and jointly run by the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, the University of Chicago, and Stanford, which surveys senior executives at roughly 500 U.S. businesses across industries and regions each month.

    Related: Is The Future of Work Flexible — Or Not? Governments Are Making Moves to End The Debate Once and For All.

    Flexibility and return to the office

    America’s approach to flexibility is not just an operational strategy; it’s a cultural ethos. The U.S., known for its innovative spirit, has long been a pioneer in adapting to new work landscapes. With the INSEAD survey finding that 50% of U.S. respondents rated remote productivity as 5/5, the embrace of flexible work arrangements has become a defining characteristic of American business. This isn’t a fleeting trend but a foundational shift that has resonated across the globe.

    In the APAC region, the longing for physical office spaces is like an ode to community and hierarchy. Indeed, peer-reviewed research published in Knowledge and Process Management shows that Asian collectivism impedes remote work. But even here, America’s flexible approach is making inroads, creating a hybrid model that balances traditional values with modern efficiency.

    Europe finds itself at a crossroads, aligning with both traditional office culture and the new frontier of remote work. It’s a dance between the old and the new, with the American influence acting as the choreographer, creating a harmonious blend.

    The low levels of return to office in the U.S. are not just a response to current circumstances; they are a blueprint for a new way of working. This success story has become an export, a lesson plan for businesses around the world looking to adapt, innovate and thrive.

    From boardrooms in Sydney to startup hubs in Berlin, the ripples of American flexibility are being felt. The influence goes beyond mere imitation. The perceived ideal mix of days working at home versus in the office reveals a global conversation shaped by American influence. APAC, EMEA, and the Americas are crafting unique blends, reflecting regional needs and global trends. America’s leading role in this conversation is evident, setting the stage for a future where flexibility is the norm, not the exception.

    Indeed, the Harvard Business Review article points out that American business practices are recognized widely as the best around the world, which paves the way for broader adoption of remote work worldwide. The most recent iteration of the survey, conducted in July 2023, asks, “Looking forward to five years from now, what share of your firm’s full-time employees do you expect to be in each category [fully in-person, hybrid, fully remote] in 2028?” The current share of in-person, hybrid, and remote workers is 75%, 14%, and 10%. In 2028, the 500 executives expect the share of in-person, hybrid, and remote workers to be 73%, 16%, and 11%. So, despite the extensive headlines about returning to the office after Labor Day, the reality is that the future will see more flexible work in the U.S., not less. And if the future is more flexible work in the U.S., it means the future is more flexible work globally as well.

    Remote productivity — the American blueprint

    In the Americas, 50% of respondents rated remote productivity as 5/5, a statistic that speaks volumes about the confidence and competence with which American businesses have adopted this new paradigm. This success story isn’t confined within national borders; it’s a lesson being studied and applied worldwide.

    American businesses have bridged the physical gap with technology and innovation. From cutting-edge collaboration tools to advanced cybersecurity measures, the technological prowess of American companies has enabled a seamless transition to remote work. This technological blueprint is now being exported, guiding global businesses in building their virtual bridges.

    Regions like APAC and EMEA have their unique cultural contexts, but the American model of remote productivity is influencing these landscapes. The lessons learned from America’s success are helping these regions navigate the challenges and opportunities of remote work.

    The lower concerns about productivity in the Americas (11%) compared to APAC or EMEA (both 22%) aren’t just numbers; they’re a reflection of a well-crafted approach that balances efficiency and wellbeing. American businesses have not only maintained productivity but have enhanced it, creating an environment where employees thrive. This balanced approach is a model for global businesses seeking to create a productive and healthy remote work culture.

    American businesses have shown remarkable agility in adapting to the remote work environment. This agility is not reactive but proactive, driven by a vision of a future where work is not confined to physical spaces. The adaptability of American businesses is a guiding star for global companies seeking to be future-ready. That’s what I observe in my 5-10 conversations with global leaders every week who are trying to figure out how to adapt the best practices in the U.S. for hybrid work to their own contexts so as to boost productivity while improving retention and cutting costs.

    The human aspect — beyond technology

    Happy employees make thriving businesses. The Americas, with their flexible approach, score high on engagement (3.6/5), while EMEA and APAC lag (both 3.2/5). It’s a dance of satisfaction, where the rhythm of flexibility creates a joyous performance.

    High employee engagement in the Americas is more than a metric; it’s a philosophy. It reflects a commitment to creating a work culture where employees feel valued, connected, and empowered.

    The embrace of remote work in the United States is not merely a technological triumph; it’s a human achievement. It’s about creating virtual spaces that foster connection, collaboration, and community. It’s a holistic approach that recognizes that business is not just about transactions but about relationships.

    In the American business landscape, emotional intelligence is no longer a soft skill; it’s a vital asset. Leaders are learning to navigate virtual spaces with empathy, understanding, and compassion. They are not just managing tasks but nurturing teams, building trust in an environment where face-to-face interactions are limited.

    American businesses have recognized that remote work, while offering flexibility, also presents challenges to mental wellbeing. Initiatives focusing on mental health, work-life balance, and employee wellness are not just trends; they’re integral to the American approach to remote work. They reflect a deep understanding that productivity and wellbeing are intertwined.

    American companies are pioneering ways to build virtual communities that transcend the screen. From virtual coffee breaks to online team-building activities, they are crafting experiences that replicate the camaraderie and collaboration of physical offices. These practices are lessons for the world on how to turn virtual spaces into vibrant communities.

    Recognition and rewards are taking new forms in the virtual world. American businesses are innovating in celebrating successes, acknowledging efforts, and fostering a culture of appreciation. These practices are inspiring global businesses to reinvent their recognition strategies in a remote work environment.

    The concern about missing social connections is not unique to the Americas (78%), but the way American businesses are addressing this concern is noteworthy. They are not just connecting employees; they are reconnecting humanity in a virtual world.

    Mentorship and collaboration have found new expressions in the American virtual workspace. Mentorship is no longer confined to office corridors but extends across digital platforms. Collaboration is not just about projects but about shared learning, growth, and innovation.

    American businesses are leveraging remote work to foster diversity and inclusion. Remote work is not just breaking down office walls; it’s breaking down barriers and creating a global family that celebrates diversity, inclusivity and unity.

    Related: Our Brains Will Never Be The Same Again After Remote Work. Forcing Your Employees To Readapt to The Office Is Not The Answer.

    Conclusion: The dawning of a shared era

    The tale of American flexibility is not a chapter in a national story; it’s a volume in the annals of global business. Renowned for being the most advanced, American practices are not merely setting standards; they are weaving a narrative of shared growth, mutual respect and universal adaptability.

    As businesses across the globe learn from America’s wisdom, they too will evolve, becoming more flexible, more connected, more human. This shared journey towards a brighter, more resilient future is not mere imitation; it’s evolution, it’s collaboration, it’s the dawn of a new era.

    This snapshot, rich and insightful, is a window into a world that’s continually transforming, guided by the pioneering spirit of America’s expertise and vision. The world is on the brink of a new age, and America’s advanced practices are the compass, the guide, the inspiration.

    The future is not just flexible; it’s united, it’s promising, and it begins here. Let us not just observe this transformation but be part of it, guided by wisdom, enriched by diversity, and united by a common goal. The curtain is rising, the world is watching, and the show is only just beginning.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • 3 Leadership Lessons For Effectively Managing Remote Teams | Entrepreneur

    3 Leadership Lessons For Effectively Managing Remote Teams | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Even as bankers urge companies, especially publicly traded, to return to their sprawling office complexes because commercial loan delinquency rates are the highest since the pandemic began, remote work is now firmly embedded in work culture. While financial puppeteers pull market strings on the ground, there’s no question that workers and leaders are facing off into a new world of work.

    My PR agency, celebrating 15 years in business this year, has always been remote. Much of this was out of necessity, but it was also born from my own experiences of efficiency as a remote worker in 2008. For context, in 2008, there was no Zoom and Skype was janky at best, creepy and weird at worst; there was no Slack or Teams. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and over the years, I learned a few things about managing a team remotely.

    Today, I consider these systems and processes one of our greatest strengths because our talent pool is limitless and our team and clients are happier. But these systems haven’t been without trial and error, and I’ve learned productivity and outcomes are the essential success ingredients of remote-first environments.

    Related: How to Build a Thriving Organizational Culture in a Remote Workplace

    1. Hire for emotional intelligence

    In my experience, emotional intelligence is the number one attribute determining whether someone can work effectively remotely.

    Studies show remote workers work longer and harder; a recent study that tracked 60,000 Microsoft workers showed the average worker saved 72 minutes in daily commuting but spent an extra half-hour each day working, an additional two hours a week.

    Because of extra time spent at work, a more significant challenge is ensuring remote workers don’t burn out. As a leader, make the extra effort to ask people how they are because you won’t be running into them in the hallway — 15-minute touch bases without a string of action items are an excellent way to connect and keep emotionally intelligent people emotionally engaged.

    It isn’t all that difficult to quantify emotional intelligence — emotionally intelligent employees are empathetic, self-directed, know how to express their needs, are curious, and are receptive to feedback. Emotionally intelligent people also know how and when they work best.

    Progress, rather than perfection, drives emotionally intelligent people, so the next tip is critical to success in remote work culture.

    Remote work culture requires mutual respect. Leaders should also be emotionally intelligent, seeking to be empathetic and solution-oriented rather than enforcers. Leaders should over-communicate their agendas and availabilities as an example rather than a requirement; emotionally intelligent team members will pick up on the signal.

    Related: Emotional and Social Intelligence Matter for Today’s Hybrid Workforce. Do You Know Why?

    2. Set clear goals and objectives

    When I hear stories of managers finding out employees have been using screen trackers to make it look like they are working, I know they haven’t hired for emotional intelligence and I know they haven’t set clear goals and objectives.

    Modern leaders need to rethink how we evaluate team members.

    According to a Stanford University study, remote workers are 13% more productive. Why waste this productivity by insisting on hour tracking? Even in an office environment, no one sits at their desk 10 hours a day and works productively.

    So rather than think of output in terms of hours worked, think about output in terms of contributions. What exactly should an employee be delivering? What KPIs should an employee be tracking for themselves? What is the contribution expected from their role? Suddenly, leaders have a clear view of their most valuable team members, and team members know what’s expected of them.

    Related: How to Keep Remote Workers Productive and Happy

    3. Use technology, but wisely

    It takes 15-20 minutes to get into the flow state, which means every time we’re interrupted, we take that long to get back up to the productivity level we were at just before the interruption. We have all gotten used to the many productivity benefits of technology, but not all technology benefits productivity.

    Notifications are the enemy of focus. Set up a hierarchy of communication. For example, non-urgent or outer office communication can usually happen via email. Slack and/or Teams, practically required for remote culture, are excellent for quick questions or urgent matters. But it’s essential to encourage these channels as professional communication channels, not water coolers. Having a communication channel that dings and pings with GIFs and meme threads all day isn’t productive. It’s not that there isn’t any room for fun; it’s that in a remote environment, providing focus is more critical than providing release. After all, unlike traditional office environments, a team member can take a walk around the block or cuddle with their pet for 10 minutes to blow off steam; they don’t need an intra-office chat for that. Normalize ways to blow off steam rather than having a Slack channel that pings and dings all day with minor grievances.

    I’ve found that project management software is a lot more work for our teams than it saves. Some exceptions exist, but I think most teams can work effectively without a third-party platform. Excel and Google Sheets can send an email when documents are updated. Use it.

    Scheduling meetings has never been more accessible, but that also means it’s more complicated than ever to have control of your calendar. Enabling company-wide “meeting-free” times (Fridays are a good day for this) is an excellent use of calendaring tools and allows everyone some guaranteed productivity time. Also, it’s great that we have so many ways to communicate, but if there are more than three messages or emails on a topic, it’s time to schedule a call. Sending emails back and forth has diminishing returns when it could be as easily solved with a 10-minute call.

    Remote work is here to stay; it’s important for modern companies to find their place in this new professional order. Protecting balance, contributions and focus are the pillars of success for both leaders and their teams.

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    Tara Coomans

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  • Smucker’s ‘Core Weeks’ Return-to-Office Policy Is Working | Entrepreneur

    Smucker’s ‘Core Weeks’ Return-to-Office Policy Is Working | Entrepreneur

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    J.M. Smucker, the company best known for its fruity jams and brands like Jif and Folgers, has adopted an uncommon return-to-office approach that employees seem to actually like.

    At the company’s Orrville, Ohio, campus, Smucker’s has implemented a strategy where about 1,300 corporate workers are expected to be on-site during 22 “core weeks” annually, The Wall Street Journal reported.

    Employees can live anywhere in the U.S. as long as they make their way to Orrville at least 25% of the time or six days a month, which the company encourages during these core weeks.

    Mark Smucker, chief executive officer of J.M. Smucker. Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg | Getty Images.

    The unique approach comes in stark contrast to the many companies pushing for more in-person presence, some initiatives of which have caused employee outcry. Tech giants like Meta, Google, Amazon, and even remote-work facilitator Zoom, have all called workers back into the office in recent months, emphasizing the importance of in-person collaboration and productivity.

    In some cases, these initiatives have rubbed workers the wrong way, mostly due to the strict enforcement of new rules. In June, over one hundred employees at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle, Washington staged a protest and walked out in retaliation to the return-to-office mandate. Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings said that there are no “positives” to remote work and that it is a “pure negative.”

    The tech exception so far has been Airbnb, which allows workers to be remote and live anywhere.

    Related: Desperate to Get Employees Back Into the Office, Companies Experiment With New Tactics

    Smucker’s approach, which does away with the “all-or-nothing” mentality, is being followed by employees with limited resistance, Smucker’s executives told the WSJ. The policy incentivizes pivotal blocks of time for the company to be together, rather than adopting a year-round model.

    “We kind of take advantage of the time when we know we’re going to be here,” Nicole Massey, a Smucker employee who lives in San Francisco but commutes to Orrville once a year, told the WSJ.

    The company also believes that the model has helped with recruiting, as some prospective employees may not be overall interested in a position located in Ohio, but could buy into an annual company-wide event, executives told the outlet.

    “Core weeks are crazy here,” Jarod Shamp, a manager at Smucker’s, said to the WSJ.

    But core weeks aren’t necessarily “crazy” busy or packed with to-do’s. John Nicholas, a company vice president, told the outlet that many managers (as well as himself) keep their schedules open or flexible during the core weeks to factor in impromptu catch-ups with co-workers and “spontaneous hallway conversations.”

    “We’re not limited by geography. We’re limited by the fact that we’re going to want you here. You need to have a presence,” he said.

    Related: ‘Hybrid Work or I Quit’ Say 50% of Financial Professionals. Here’s Why Work Flexibility is a Non-Negotiable.

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    Madeline Garfinkle

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  • Back In The Office? Why Your Company’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Is Destined to Fail. | Entrepreneur

    Back In The Office? Why Your Company’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Is Destined to Fail. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Many organizations adopt a broad-brush approach to hybrid work that fails to differentiate between various departments and roles. For example, Comcast told every employee to come to the office every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and work remotely Monday and Friday. Apple asked all of its employees to come in on Tuesday, Thursday, and one more day that each department gets to pick.

    Such indiscriminate treatment generally indicates the leadership of a company did not adopt hybrid work willingly. Instead, their hand was forced by employees threatening to leave without at least some flexibility. Indeed, both Apple and Comcast employees explicitly threatened to quit over the heavy-handed return-to-office plans, and some did so. For instance, the head of Apple’s AI team resigned due to Apple’s lack of flexibility.

    As a result of being dragged kicking and screaming into allowing at least some work from home, the leadership of such companies fails to optimize their approach to hybrid work, undermining its potential for a major boost to productivity, retention, and cutting costs. Having worked with 24 organizations to help them transition to hybrid work, I can attest that getting the true benefits from hybrid work requires creating a customized decision framework for different departments and roles.

    With 79% of all companies switching to hybrid work, according to the EY Work Reimagined Employer Survey, such poor decision-making around this work modality both harms the bottom lines of individual companies and also causes a harmful drag on the economy as a whole. Not surprisingly, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, productivity decreased significantly in the first quarter of 2022 when workers returned to in-person work environments with a drop of 7.5%; that fall marks the largest reduction in productivity since 1947. The second quarter also saw a large productivity decrease at 4.6%. By contrast, productivity increased sharply in the first two years of the pandemic, and that boost occurred specifically in the industries where much of the work can be done remotely such as IT and finance, as found by a recent National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) study; while industries that require more in-person work fell behind in productivity measures.

    Related: Why Hybrid Work Will Win Out Over Remote and In-Person — Whether You Like It or Not.

    The basis for the hybrid work model decision framework

    The basis for the decision framework centers around two distinct questions. First, what kind of work is best done remotely, and what in the office? Second, what type of work is done in each department and by different roles within them?

    To answer the first question, we need to recognize that extensive investigations illustrate workers are fine with the office itself. What they don’t like is the commute, which takes many hours per week and costs many thousands of dollars per year.

    So the tasks that employees can easily and productively do at home should be done there. And those tasks include the large majority of what many employees do: individual-focused work, asynchronous collaboration and communication, and videoconference and phone meetings. By contrast, the office is best suited for more intense and synchronous collaboration and communication, challenging conversations, cultivating team belonging and organizational culture, mentoring, on-the-job learning and leadership development.

    Answering the first question shows the problematic nature of decreeing a fixed number of days of more than half the work week in the office for all staff, as did Apple and Comcast. Staff in various departments and roles have a different balance of the kind of work they do; their time and efforts are wasted if they do the wrong work in the wrong place, such as coming to the office and doing videoconference meetings. According to Stuart Templeton, the head of Slack in the U.K., “making a two-hour commute to sit on video calls is a terrible use of the office” and kills productivity. Moreover, it breeds staff frustration and resentment, leading to retention problems and higher costs due to replacing talented employees.

    Instead, a decision framework needs to factor in the specific kind of work done in different departments and by specific roles in each department. For example, consider the finance department. Most of the activities of individual accountants involve solitary number crunching, with occasional asynchronous communication and collaboration. However, the end of a quarter, and especially the end of the fiscal year, usually involves more intense and synchronous collaboration. Thus, my clients find that it works best to have accountants come in once every couple of weeks during much of the year. But then, for the last week of a quarter and for the last two weeks of the year, accountants come in nearly every day.

    While this pattern fits the role of most accountants, some accountants occupy more specialized roles. A case in point: auditors. They have a different pattern of work, which involves intense collaboration when preparing for and launching an audit. Next follows individual-focused work analyzing their findings. The end of an audit features intense collaboration — with some challenging conversations. That pattern demands a distinct approach to coming to the office to fit the needs of their particular roles within the accounting department.

    The sales department has its own particularities, depending on what kind of sales a company does. For one of my clients, a B2B IT service provider, sales involve frequent phone calls. My client found it helpful in developing junior sales staff to have them sit together with more experienced salespeople with both making calls. Recently hired staff learned tips and tricks from how senior staff handled sales calls; in turn, experienced salespeople listened to the calls made by newer staff and provided quick feedback on improvements. As another benefit, the kind of sales they do involves frequent rejection, which can be demotivating: having everyone make calls together provides motivation and helps everyone celebrate wins. As a result, the sales team decided to come to the office three days a week to make phone calls and spent the other two days on more individual work at home.

    For a financial management company, the analyst department found it most useful to spend the large majority of time at home. They did individual tasks such as evaluating data and preparing their own initial versions of predictions and recommendations. But then they came together once a month for several days in the office to synthesize the data, hash out differences and develop company-wide predictions and recommendations they could provide to clients about what investments to make for strong risk-adjusted returns.

    In a Fortune 500 consumer products manufacturing company, the HR department had a more differentiated approach based on specific roles. Some staff who handled back-end HR functions worked mostly from home, coming together once a week for socializing and team building. The training staff in the HR department had a more varied approach. They provided some in-person as well as remote training to different business units in that company and came to the office mostly on the days of in-person training events. For a different case in point, recruiters operated largely independently of everyone else; the department found it cost-effective to allow them to work full-time remotely. Another type of role was the HR business partner, who functioned as a support person to the operational manager of each individual product team in the company. They adopted a pattern that reflected the specifics of the department that they supported.

    How to tailor the hybrid work model decision framework

    To tailor the hybrid work decision framework to each department and role, the company’s leadership team should start by determining some broad guidelines and budgeting priorities. Thus, some of my clients closed subsidiary offices, which made it impractical for many staff members to come to the office except for truly important events; others decided to save on salary costs by hiring some fully remote staff in lower cost-of-living areas for individual contributor roles that did not require intense collaboration.

    After that, educate your staff —and especially middle managers who lead departments and teams within them — about what tasks are best done at home and what at the office. Create a broad understanding and acceptance among the management of the burden of the commute and the need to minimize it for the sake of retention, productivity and cutting costs.

    Next, each department should develop an initial plan for itself. This process needs to involve the staff as well as department leaders, to garner buy-in from all staff. According to a November Gallup survey, 46% of employees who work in a hybrid setting reported feeling engaged when their team is able to make their own decisions about when to come into the office. On the other hand, 35% said they feel engaged when leadership determines the policy for the entire team.

    Notably, only 41% of respondents indicated that they are engaged if everyone made the decision individually. This finding might seem counterintuitive. Indeed, when I run focus groups in client organizations, the large majority would prefer to make the choice by themselves. However, the result of such an approach is people coming to the office and not seeing the members of their teams and departments there. The result is disengagement since collaboration is the whole point of coming to the office and braving the commute. That problem highlights the value of coordination at the level of departments, roles and teams.

    Related: You Should Let Your Team Decide Their Approach to Hybrid Work. A Behavioral Economist Explains Why and How You Should Do It.

    Conclusion

    After developing this initial plan, treat it as a draft rather than set in stone. Experiment for a couple of months and measure the success of your decision framework. After three months, have each department reassess the initial plan and update it based on what they found worked well and what needed improvement. This customized hybrid work model decision framework most effectively combines department-level coordination with rank-and-file buy-in from those in different roles and teams, helping my clients gain the best balance of productivity, retention and cutting costs.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • Productivity Is At An All-Time Low Because We’re Failing Employees In 2 Ways. | Entrepreneur

    Productivity Is At An All-Time Low Because We’re Failing Employees In 2 Ways. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If Sherlock Holmes were to take on the case of the mysteriously dwindling productivity, he would have a complex enigma on his hands. According to a recent report by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), worker output in the U.S. has seen its worst drop since 1947, with labor productivity growth at a historically low rate of 1.1% from 2019 to 2023.

    This phenomenon isn’t localized to the U.S. The U.K. and Canada have seen the weakest annual growth since 2013, and Australia has witnessed its “biggest fall in labor productivity on record.” This global productivity predicament has instigated a plethora of theories, and the one that looks most likely is that top-down, forced return-to-office policies that undermine trust and autonomy are making workers less productive.

    Related: We’re Now Finding Out The Damaging Results of The Mandated Return to Office — And It’s Worse Than We Thought.

    The office return policy: A wolf in sheep’s clothing?

    To truly grasp the productivity problem, we need to peer beyond the surface-level statistics. When Microsoft asked employees about their productivity versus leaders’ perception of their teams’ productivity, the disparity was stark. A whopping 87% of employees reported they were productive at work, while only 12% of leaders shared the same confidence. This chasm of misunderstanding widens when we start enforcing return-to-office policies.

    Remember the last time you were forced to do something you didn’t want to? You likely felt resentment and a lack of trust. This is exactly what’s happening with forced return-to-office policies.

    The return-to-office mandate has not been received kindly. We’ve seen thousands of Amazon employees walk off the job in protest, Apple employees petition against the company’s three-day-a-week in-office policy, and Farmers Group experienced widespread outrage after the new CEO required employees to be in the office three days a week. And when workers feel their employment terms are being rewritten, trust erodes faster than a sandcastle at high tide.

    Trust: The invisible fuel of productivity

    Productivity and trust share a symbiotic relationship. They thrive together and wither apart. It’s like trying to bake a cake without flour — you can’t expect a delicious result without this crucial ingredient.

    The i4cp report found a clear correlation between trust and productivity. High-performance organizations prioritize both the “what” and “how” of goal achievement. These organizations understand that empathy and productivity are not mutually exclusive. They cultivate a culture of trust by providing flexibility and considering employees’ needs and preferences.

    According to the i4cp’s Organizational Trust Index®, trust in an organization is composed of five key elements:

    • Senior leaders trust employees.
    • Managers trust their team members.
    • Managers are trusted by their direct reports.
    • Employees trust their team members.
    • The senior leadership team is trusted by employees.

    These elements are like the five fingers on a hand — each one is crucial for the hand to function effectively. And it’s not just theory. The presence of these five elements explains an 18% increase in productivity since the start of the pandemic for participating organizations.

    The power of trust in creating healthy cultures

    A fascinating trend emerges when we compare high-performance organizations with low-performance ones. High-performance companies are more likely to strongly agree with the five trust statements by a factor of 3 to 11 times over low-performing companies.

    In stark contrast, only 2% of respondents from low-performance organizations strongly agreed that their senior leaders trust employees, and a mere 3% stated that employees trust senior leaders. On the other hand, those from high-performance organizations were a whopping 11 times more likely to strongly agree that there is trust between these groups.

    If trust is the fuel for productivity, lack of trust is the pollutant that leads to organizational toxicity. The i4cp study found that those who described their organizations’ cultures as toxic were 16 times more likely to state “lack of trust in senior leaders” as a problem that needs addressing. Moreover, these respondents were 10 times more likely to report an “unsafe environment for expressing opinions or concerns” as a major issue in their organizations.

    On the flip side, a healthy organizational culture is marked by a strong presence of trust. Those who perceived their organizations to have very healthy cultures reported that they have leaders who lead by example, are held accountable for employee outcomes, regularly communicate values and address poor behavior immediately.

    So, the writing on the wall is clear. Trust is the secret ingredient in the productivity recipe. A return-to-office mandate, if imposed without thoughtful consideration of employees’ needs and preferences, undermines this trust. The key lies in maintaining flexibility, fostering a culture of trust and letting productivity flourish naturally. After all, trust is not a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have.

    Autonomy: The invisible catalyst for productivity

    If trust is the fuel of productivity, then autonomy is the catalyst. It speeds up the process, sparks creativity and fosters innovation.

    According to the i4cp report, companies with the highest productivity provide the highest levels of autonomy to their individuals and teams. This autonomy is closely tied to trust, and together, they account for a significant proportion of productivity. Specifically, the autonomy of individuals and teams explains 15% of the variability in productivity.

    When companies mandate a return to the office, they may unknowingly be sapping their employees’ autonomy and, in turn, trust. It’s like unintentionally adding a slow-acting poison to a flourishing garden. These two factors — autonomy and trust — are vital to innovation and productivity. By undermining them, organizations are, in essence, hampering their own progress.

    The most innovative companies understand this well. They provide flexibility and autonomy, allowing teams and individuals to determine the right work model for their roles. This approach is akin to giving the master chef the freedom to experiment with ingredients, techniques, and recipes.

    However, not all organizations have grasped the importance of autonomy. The i4cp report reveals a stark contrast between high and low-performing companies. High-performing organizations are more likely to offer high levels of autonomy to individuals (77%) and teams (82%). On the other hand, low-performing companies trail significantly, with only 58% providing high levels of autonomy to individuals and 62% to teams.

    Naturally, forced, top-down return-to-office policies that don’t get buy-in from employees undermine autonomy, for individuals and teams alike. And that hurts productivity.

    Related: Want to Be More Productive? Stop Trying to Finish Every Task, and Do This Instead

    The future of work: Autonomy, trust and flexibility

    The message is clear: If we want to boost productivity, we need to rethink our approach to the workplace. Autonomy, trust and flexibility should be at the forefront of this transformation.

    As we stand at the crossroads of productivity, it’s time to reconsider our direction. The forced return-to-office strategy is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole — it’s not only difficult but also damaging. We need to put trust back in the driver’s seat and give employees the flexibility to choose their working environment. That’s what I tell my clients when helping them figure out their return-to-office policies — you need to make sure to get employee buy-in to cultivate trust and provide autonomy for team decision-making in determining their in-office work time to facilitate autonomy.

    The future of work shouldn’t be a return to the past. It should be a leap forward, embracing the lessons we’ve learned during the pandemic and using them to create a work culture that fuels productivity, not hinders it. Forced return-to-office policies may seem like a simple solution, but they risk damaging the very factors that drive productivity.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • Our Brains Will Never Be The Same Again After Remote Work — Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

    Our Brains Will Never Be The Same Again After Remote Work — Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

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    The shift to remote work during the pandemic has not only changed our daily routines but also had profound effects on our brains. The quiet, controlled environment of home offices has conditioned us to work in silence, free from the constant hum of office chatter, ringing phones and clattering keyboards. This shift has made us more susceptible to distractions when we return to the traditional office environment.

    The impact of working from home on our brains

    The brain is a highly adaptable organ, constantly changing in response to our environment and behavior, a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. When we work from home, our brains adapt to the quieter, less distracting environment. We become more attuned to the subtle sounds of our home surroundings — the hum of the refrigerator, the ticking of a clock, the chirping of birds outside the window. These sounds become the backdrop of our workday, and our brains learn to tune them out, allowing us to focus on our tasks.

    However, this adaptation comes with a trade-off. As we become more accustomed to the quiet of home, our ability to filter out the louder, more varied noises of the office environment weakens. Our brains, conditioned for the quiet of home, struggle to adjust.

    Over the last five quarters, we’ve witnessed a concerning trend: a steady decrease in productivity. While there are undoubtedly multiple factors at play, one major culprit stands out — the cacophony of the office environment that accompanies the return to office.

    As employees come in after months of working from home, they’re confronted with a barrage of sounds they had almost forgotten — the incessant ringing of phones, the constant hum of office chatter, the clattering of keyboards. These sounds, once a normal part of office life, have become significant distractions, disrupting focus and hampering productivity.

    This phenomenon is not just anecdotal, as we can see from research on the negative impact of the noise distractions of the open office — and that’s from before the pandemic sensitized employees to noise. A review of over 300 papers from 67 journals found that open office layouts significantly worsen occupant productivity, with sound and acoustic strategies being crucial for office design. Similarly, another review of more than 100 studies on open offices found that the layout consistently led to lower rates of concentration and focus.

    Research from the University of California at Irvine found that employees in cubicles receive 29% more interruptions than those in private offices, leading to higher rates of exhaustion. Edward Brown, co-founder of the Cohen Brown Management Group, found that office workers lose three to five hours of productive time every day due to unwanted, unneeded and unproductive interruptions, with 93% of workers reporting being often interrupted at work.

    When companies switch from a private office to an open one, employees’ perception of health, work environment and performance decreases. Researchers from Karlstad University found that the more workers were gathered into a single office space, the less satisfied they became, resulting in lower wellbeing. This was in part because these workers felt it was harder to have a good dialogue with their colleagues due to concerns about being overheard.

    These findings underscore the challenge many of us face as we transition back to the office. Our brains, conditioned for the quiet of home, are now struggling to adjust to the noise of the office. The question is, how do we address this challenge in a way that maximizes productivity and employee satisfaction?

    Related: We’re Now Finding Out The Damaging Results of The Mandated Return to Office — And It’s Worse Than We Thought.

    The office noise dilemma

    The traditional office environment, once the epitome of productivity, has become a battleground of distractions for many employees returning from remote work. The constant hum of office chatter, the incessant ringing of phones, the clattering of keyboards — these once-familiar sounds now pose a significant challenge to focus and productivity.

    A recent Wall Street Journal article, whose subhead is “Working from home altered our brains. We need more office time to fix them” suggests that the solution to this problem is more office time to “exercise” our brains and regain the ability to focus amidst distractions. The article quotes S. Thomas Carmichael, professor and chair of the neurology department at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, who likens our brains to “flabby biceps” that need to be strengthened, and suggests the solution of “Make yourself work from the office more often.”

    This perspective raises several questions. First, is it reasonable to expect employees to “exercise” their brains in an environment that is inherently distracting? Second, is it fair to place the burden of adaptation solely on the employees, without considering changes to the office environment itself? And third, what are the potential costs of this approach in terms of employee satisfaction, stress levels, and overall productivity? After all, the forced return to office – combined with the office noise – appears to have seriously harmed productivity for the last five quarters.

    Forcing employees back into the office full-time, without addressing the issue of noise and other distractions, is akin to forcing a marathon runner to train in a swimming pool. Sure, they might eventually adapt, but at what cost to their performance? And what about the psychological stress of constantly struggling to focus amidst the noise?

    Moreover, this approach overlooks the fact that not all work is the same. Some tasks require deep concentration and are best performed in a quiet environment, while others benefit from the energy and spontaneity of a bustling office. By forcing all work into the same noisy environment, we risk hampering productivity rather than enhancing it.

    The solution to the office noise dilemma is not simply more office time, but a more nuanced approach that takes into account the nature of the work, the needs of the employees, and the benefits of both quiet and collaborative environments.

    The flexible hybrid work solution: Embracing the silence and the noise

    Given the challenges posed by office noise, it’s clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to the workplace is no longer viable. Instead, we need to embrace a more flexible, adaptable model that takes into account the diverse needs and preferences of employees. This is where the flexible hybrid work model comes into play, as I tell my clients when helping them figure out work arrangements for their staff.

    The flexible hybrid work model is a blend of remote and in-office work driven by evidence on what people do best in the office and what’s most effective to focus on at home. It allows employees to do their focused, individual work at home, where they can control their environment and minimize distractions. The office, then, becomes a hub for collaboration, nuanced conversations, mentoring and on-the-job training and socializing — activities that benefit from the energy and spontaneity of in-person interactions.

    This approach has several advantages. First, it respects the neuroplasticity of our brains and the adaptations we’ve made while working from home. Instead of forcing employees to “unlearn” these adaptations, it leverages them to enhance productivity. Employees can do their focused work in the quiet of their home office, where they’re less likely to be distracted and more likely to be productive.

    Second, the hybrid model acknowledges the value of in-person interactions. While remote work has many benefits, there’s no substitute for the energy, creativity and camaraderie that come from working together in person. By designating the office as a space for collaboration, we can harness these benefits without subjecting employees to the constant distractions of a traditional office environment.

    Related: How to Transform Your Office Into a Collaboration Destination

    Third, the hybrid model offers flexibility. Employees can adjust their work location based on the tasks they need to accomplish. If they need to focus on a complex project, they can work from home. If they need to brainstorm ideas with their team, they can go to the office. This flexibility can lead to higher job satisfaction and better work-life balance.

    Finally, the hybrid model is future-proof. It’s adaptable to changing circumstances, whether it’s a global pandemic, a personal health issue or a family commitment. By offering employees the option to work from home or the office, companies can ensure continuity and productivity no matter what the future holds.

    In short, the hybrid work model is not just a response to the pandemic, but a forward-thinking approach to work that acknowledges the realities of our changing world. By embracing the silence of remote work and the sound of office collaboration, we can create a work environment that is productive, satisfying, and resilient.

    The future of work: A symphony of silence and sound

    The future of work is not about forcing employees into one environment or another, but about finding the right balance. It’s about creating a symphony of silence and sound, where focused work and collaboration each have their place. By embracing this approach, employers can maximize productivity, enhance employee satisfaction and create a work culture that is adaptable, resilient, and future-proof.

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  • 4 Things To Look For When Hiring a Remote Team | Entrepreneur

    4 Things To Look For When Hiring a Remote Team | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    While adoption rates vary by country, industry and company size, the remote working trend continues to gather momentum as more employees demand flexible working arrangements, and many organizations recognize the potential benefits, such as increased productivity, reduced overhead costs, and access to a larger talent pool.

    At the same time, we’ve seen high-profile companies like Apple, Amazon, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Starbucks, Disney and Goldman Sachs, among others, rolling back fully remote workplace policies.

    Leaders at these companies are mandating that staff hired for office work return to the office, citing reduced productivity and organizational efficiency, and stifled innovation and creativity as primary reasons for their decision.

    This shift to hybrid workplace policies and stricter return-to-office mandates underscores the importance of hiring the right-fit employees suited to thrive in a remote environment to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the model.

    Related: A New Remote Work Trend is Helping Employers Retain Talent Amid Labor Market Pressures

    Our fully remote business has navigated a period of exponential growth in the number of passionate people we employ from countries across the globe. During this time, we have identified four key qualities and attributes that we look for to ensure we hire staff who thrive in the remote work environment.

    1. Confidence to take initiative

    Siloed and structured roles and responsibilities characterize the traditional corporate environment, which suits certain personality types and mindsets.

    But the fully remote organization requires employees who thrive with unconstrained mandates. They also need the confidence, creativity and innovation mindset to deliver value beyond their basic job role and meet the company’s strategic objectives.

    Identifying and hiring talented individuals who want to break free from a complex and toxic corporate environment for better work-life balance and personal and mental well-being are ideal candidates. These individuals typically thrive with the new-found freedom to work how, when and where they want, which can produce innovative and beneficial outcomes for the organization.

    For example, a newly recruited Country Manager of ours took the initiative to grow the regional business by developing completely new processes and procedures from scratch, despite not having any experience with this management aspect. His proactive efforts successfully built the business in his region and were replicated in other key regions to grow the business.

    Related: How to Identify and Nurture the Leadership Potential of Your Employees

    2. A growth mindset

    Career pathways in conventional company structures are typically rigid, linear and predictable. In contrast, fully remote companies’ potential for growth and development is less constrained.

    As such, when fully remote companies identify and hire employees who see beyond the corporate ladder and create opportunities for professional and personal development within and beyond their conventional job role, remote companies can develop and nurture talented individuals who contribute immeasurably to the company’s success.

    This was demonstrated when we hired someone who previously worked as an import-export specialist to fulfill a Customer Support Lead role. He leveraged his flexible, fully remote working environment to study User Experience (UX) courses to expand his knowledge. After completing his UX design studies, he completely transformed his career path and now works as a UX Researcher and Designer, creating new experiences and solutions that make customer lives easier, which offers the business a competitive advantage.

    Related: How to Instill and Foster a Growth Mindset in Your Employees

    3. Cross-functional capabilities

    While cross-functional teams have become commonplace in conventional organizational structures to drive innovation, every fully remote company needs cross-functional employees.

    Small companies can benefit immensely from building broad expertise and a more diverse skill set among staff by creating opportunities to work collaboratively with other people in the business. These experiences help employees learn about different systems and develop new skills across different roles within the business.

    This experience can help employees develop cross-functional capabilities and grow in unconventional ways to potentially fulfill multiple roles within the business or evolve into hybrid roles that offer more value to the organization by fulfilling multiple functions or providing support across teams.

    These cross-functional employees, with their multifaceted capabilities, can help the business grow without unnecessarily increasing headcount or costs to the company, which can accelerate company growth and fast-track success.

    4. Passion and purpose

    There are clear links between employee retention and productivity when staff find purpose in their work and are afforded opportunities to pursue their passions.

    The virtual working environment offered by fully remote businesses allows individuals to pursue their purpose by securing work in their preferred field — no matter where they are in the world — with the flexibility to pursue their passions, even if those projects or pursuits fall outside their daily job role. The most common example cited among fully remote employees is the ability to travel while continuing to work and earn an income.

    When passion and purpose intersect within a job role or the organization, it typically creates the most fulfilling form of work and attracts the most committed employees.

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    Max Azarov

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  • 5 Reasons Remote Startups Attract Better Talent | Entrepreneur

    5 Reasons Remote Startups Attract Better Talent | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    According to a recent Gallup survey, there has been a 57% rise in employees being actively recruited since 2015. At the same time, 65% of employees prefer hybrid work, with the majority intending to leave if they aren’t permitted to work in their preferred arrangement.

    To win the war for talent, companies that can, need to find a way to meet the “remote expectation” of employees. This is even more true for startups, where the right talent can make or break the organization. There are multiple ways in which a startup may meet this remote expectation: They might go “remote-only,” requiring that all employees go remote; or, they may adopt a “remote-first,” “remote-friendly” or “hybrid” model, all of which support remote work to varying degrees.

    Here, I share some insights on why remote startups attract better talent, based on my experiences recruiting and hiring international teams, both for my own organization and for client companies.

    Related: 4 Great Things That Happened When We Went Remote

    1. Access to a larger pool of candidates

    Remote companies have access to a large and diverse talent pool. Even within one country or state, by going remote, potential hires no longer need to be based in one city. The benefit becomes even greater when the business is willing to hire remote candidates from overseas — the entire world becomes an effective talent pool. And while there are some compliance requirements when hiring remote employees overseas (such as paying employment taxes and compulsory contributions), these can be easily resolved via an Employer of Record solution.

    2. Remote startups can grow more quickly due to productivity gains

    For a long while, the potential productivity boost from remote work has been recognized. In one study, employees who worked remotely were shown to be 13% more productive than in-office employees. The productivity boost likely has several causes:

    • Remote employees may feel more “refreshed” at work, without time spent commuting.

    • There is a greater ability to focus on work, with fewer office-based distractions.

    • Remote workers are likely to have more flexibility around when they work, so they can work when most productive.

    • Employees experience an enhanced work-life balance (such as the ability to arrange childcare drop-offs and pick-ups around working hours), which means they are more engaged while at work.

    For a rapidly-growing startup, the importance of any potential productivity gains early on cannot be underestimated. But this is not just about the benefits to the remote startup itself — potential employees themselves prefer startups with good future prospects. By going with a remote startup, an applicant is likely to choose a more successful startup and one where they have a higher chance of promotion and long-term career success.

    3. The best employees expect the best benefits

    Where a role is in high demand (e.g., specialist software engineer positions), it is only natural that employees will have extra leverage in demanding benefits. This might include, for example, asking for extra paid time off or asking for a premium health insurance package. The ability to work remotely is a similarly attractive benefit to applicants/new hires. By offering remote work as an option to applicants, startups may find that they are able to attract the best applicants without the additional cost of premium benefits.

    Related: 9 Ways to Recruit the Best Talent for Your Startup

    4. Async work goes naturally with remote work

    With high-profile companies like Shopify banning recurring meetings with three or more people recently, we are seeing a new prioritization of asynchronous (“async”) work. For certain roles, the benefits of async work are undeniable: It gives individuals the time and space to concentrate and engage in focused work, which is not possible with constant interruption.

    For remote startups, async work is often already ingrained within their work practices. Having distributed teams spread across multiple regions or countries makes it inevitable that all communication cannot be “synchronous,” and that individuals will carry out their work with more independence. For tech talent especially, this cultural feature of remote startups may be extremely appealing — async work allows a level of autonomy that many tech workers find invaluable.

    5. The potential for higher salaries

    As a remote startup, infrastructure costs are usually less than they would be in a traditional brick-and-mortar operation. Without physical office costs (or, at least, reduced physical office costs) and heating costs, surplus funds can be allocated toward employee salaries to attract better talent. Of course, independent of salary, employees themselves also tend to benefit financially from a remote setup through reduced commuting costs (both in time and money).

    With sustained strong demand for talent in specialized roles, startups need to do what they can to attract the best candidates and retain those employees. To remain competitive, startups need to take the remote work challenge seriously. A remote startup will find that it benefits from access to a larger hiring pool, and those who insist that all employees remain in-office may find that their businesses are losing out on top talent.

    Related: How Flexible Work Will Give Your Business the Biggest Advantage

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    Antoine Boquen

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  • Junior Staff Are Struggling to Adjust to Flexible Schedules — Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

    Junior Staff Are Struggling to Adjust to Flexible Schedules — Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s fast-paced business world, flexible work schedules have become increasingly popular, allowing employees to balance their professional and personal lives more effectively. However, with the rise of remote and hybrid work environments, one crucial aspect of employee development has taken a hit: mentoring. Recent findings by WFH Research, a group that includes Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom and other scholars, show that on-site employees devote more time to mentoring and professional development than their remote counterparts. Namely, those who came to the office devoted about 40 more minutes a week to mentoring others, nearly 25 more in formal training and about 15 additional minutes each week doing professional development and learning activities.

    As a seasoned expert in helping leaders figure out a flexible return to office and hybrid work policy, I can attest that Bloom’s research is spot on. When you just let things take their natural course, junior staff suffer. No wonder leaders who previously showed strong support for flexibility like Marc Benioff and Mark Zuckerberg changed their minds, at least about junior staff, pushing them to come to the office for three days a week — but also asking senior staff to come to the office to mentor recent hires.

    Mentoring: The missing link in flexible work

    Unfortunately, their proposed solution is wrong-headed. Mandating in-office attendance for most of the workweek is bound to lead to attrition, resistance, disengagement and lowered productivity. And it will not be very effective for mentoring, either. In the context of the return-to-office wars, senior staff especially resent coming to the office with the sole goal of mentoring junior staff by osmosis. They tend to go to their office or cubicle, shut their door and put on their headphones, and try to avoid interacting with anyone else. Junior staff is usually too intimidated by this obviously hostile and standoffish attitude and fails to get mentoring.

    Instead, the solution is a structured mentoring program that embraces flexible schedules. Senior staff feels much less resentment about coming to the office once a week for several hours to do in-depth mentoring, along with some virtual mentoring sessions, compared to an obligation to come in three days a week for the weak soup of mentoring by osmosis.

    Picture a garden with an abundance of diverse and colorful plants. Each plant represents an employee, and the garden as a whole represents your organization. The sun, water, and nutrients these plants receive are akin to the mentoring and professional development opportunities that nourish your employees. Without these essential resources, the garden withers and fails to reach its full potential. Similarly, without a structured mentoring program, your employees’ growth may be stunted, leading to a less vibrant and successful organization.

    And it’s not only the gardening metaphor that illustrates effective mentoring: a study by Charter and Qualtrics of 3,005 desk-based workers in the United States does so as well. They found that “hybrid work does not limit the potential of mentoring” and “Successful mentoring relationships were similarly likely to occur if mentor and mentee met remotely [or in-person.”

    Similarly, the Harvard Business Review reports that “many individuals incorrectly presume that physical proximity is essential in developmental relationships. But like work itself, mentoring is defined less by the medium in which it is accomplished than by the outcomes delivered.” If you have “commitment, trust, relationship quality, and mentor competence,” these “are the real ingredients of developmental growth,” and you can have these in both in-person and “virtual mentorship.”

    But what is involved in a structured mentoring program of this sort?

    Related: CEOs Are Blaming The Need For Mentorship to Justify The Forced Return of All Employees. Reality Calls For a Very Different Approach.

    Individual lunch sessions: Planting the seeds of trust

    One-on-one in-person interactions with senior professionals serve as the sun in our garden analogy. These meetings foster personal bonding, vulnerability, psychological safety, and trust — the lifeblood of effective mentoring relationships.

    While these sessions are powerful, senior professionals’ time is limited, and most want to minimize their time in the office. That’s why it’s essential to incorporate other mentoring activities.

    Virtual coffee meetings: Nurturing connections across the distance

    Imagine these virtual meetings as the water that sustains our garden. After trust has been established through in-person interactions, virtual coffee meetings with senior professionals offer a convenient and accessible way to maintain relationships.

    The lower time burden and flexibility of these meetings make them an attractive option for busy senior professionals, no matter where they are in the world. I’m not simply referring to traveling: Many senior professionals at my clients moved to more attractive locales during the pandemic and only came to the office for quarterly retreats. They were too high-value for my clients to pressure them to return to the office.

    But, we ended up making arrangements where these senior professionals met their mentees during quarterly retreats and began their relationships in these intense bonding experiences. Then, they continued mentoring in these virtual meetings, having established the trust necessary to do so.

    Regardless of whether you do in-person or virtual meetings, make sure to do them often. Both my own experience with clients and the research by Charter and Qualtrics found it’s key to have frequent check-ins between mentors and mentees. In fact, according to the study, “Some 51% of very successful mentors meet with their mentees once a week or more often, compared to 37% for somewhat successful mentors.”

    Group lunch sessions: Cultivating collective wisdom

    Group lunch sessions act like the fertile soil that supports the growth of your organization’s garden. By engaging small groups of young employees with senior professionals, these sessions facilitate knowledge sharing and relationship building while making efficient use of senior professionals’ time. Such gatherings allow the collective wisdom of your organization to flourish.

    Moreover, much like the pollinators in our garden, group mentoring sessions encourage the cross-pollination of ideas among a cohort of younger employees mentored by a senior employee. This approach fosters a collaborative learning environment of peer-based learning and reduces the burden on senior employees of teaching junior staff, promoting a thriving ecosystem within your organization.

    Just like with one-on-one mentoring, group sessions are best started in person. Then, you can transition to remote once trust has built up.

    Coworking sessions: Encouraging organic knowledge transfer

    Imagine coworking sessions as the intertwined roots of plants in a vibrant garden. Just as these roots share nutrients and stabilize each other, coworking sessions present a unique opportunity for senior and junior employees to share knowledge and support each other. This shared workspace provides a fertile ground for collaboration, where ideas can germinate, blossom and bear the fruit of innovation.

    In-person coworking sessions, in particular, are akin to the roots that delve deep into the soil, drawing essential nutrients and establishing a robust foundation. These sessions offer the invaluable advantage of immediate feedback, allowing for real-time adjustments and refinements. The energy and spontaneity in these physical spaces spark creativity, much like the invigorating feel of the earth between a gardener’s fingers.

    Virtual coworking sessions, on the other hand, are comparable to the surface roots that adapt to their environment, spreading out to absorb rainwater and sunlight. They offer the flexibility of connecting from anywhere, making them an excellent solution for remote work scenarios. These sessions remove geographical boundaries, enabling the exchange of diverse perspectives, much like the rain and sun that nurture a garden’s growth. Unlike the one-on-one or group sessions, I haven’t observed the need for trust-building through initial in-person coworking, making this activity an especially flexible tool for teams with some members who are fully remote.

    What makes coworking sessions a win-win solution is the reduction of burden on senior employees. By encouraging shared workspaces, both physical and virtual, senior staff members can impart their wisdom and experience without overextending themselves. It’s much like the way mature plants support the growth of younger ones in a garden without depleting their own resources. Ultimately, coworking sessions cultivate a culture of mutual learning and teamwork, laying the foundation for a thriving, resilient organization.

    Related: CEOs Are Blaming The Need For Mentorship to Justify The Forced Return of All Employees. Reality Calls For a Very Different Approach.

    Goal-oriented mentoring: Ensuring a fruitful harvest

    To maximize the yield of our metaphorical garden, we must set clear goals and incentives for the mentoring program. This approach ensures that all parties are fully engaged and that the program is effective in fostering employee growth.

    Just as a gardener regularly prunes and assesses their plants’ health, organizations must implement evaluations to monitor the progress and success of their mentoring initiatives. This process enables continuous improvement and helps your garden – or your organization – to flourish.

    Again, the findings by Charter and Qualtrics supported these lessons from my work with clients. According to the study, “Mentors in successful relationships are more likely to have this mentorship supported through compensation (27%, vs. 17% for less successful mentors), recognition in performance reviews (42% vs. 33%), and being provided time by their employer to mentor (39% vs. 33%).”

    Embrace structured mentoring for a thriving organization

    As the flexible work revolution continues to gain momentum, organizations must recognize the importance of structured mentoring programs. By incorporating a diverse range of mentoring activities, such as individual lunch sessions, virtual meetings, group sessions, coworking initiatives, goal-oriented mentoring, and regular evaluations, your organization can continue to thrive. It’s like ensuring your garden has the right balance of sun, water, soil and care — it’s not just about planting the seeds, it’s about nurturing them to full bloom.

    Now, dear reader, it’s your turn to take action. Consider your organization’s current mentoring practices. Are they like a well-tended garden, ripe with the fruits of shared wisdom and mutual growth resulting from a structured mentoring program fit for flexible work? Or are they more like a plot of land full of random weeds resulting from mentoring the natural way — by osmosis? If you let nature take over, you deserve the outcome.

    As the flexible work landscape continues to evolve, remember that the roots of success lie in a robust mentoring program. Embrace this opportunity and watch your organization bloom. After all, a garden full of thriving plants is much more satisfying and beautiful than a barren field. Nurture your employees like a diligent gardener, and you’ll reap the rewards of a vibrant, successful flexible organization.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • The Rise of the Bleisure Worker — 3 Ways Work-From-Anywhere is Redefining Travel | Entrepreneur

    The Rise of the Bleisure Worker — 3 Ways Work-From-Anywhere is Redefining Travel | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Historically, the travel industry has been clearly segmented. People traveled for business or pleasure without a significant overlap between those two, and work-from-anywhere policies were rare or nonexistent. Hence, customer behavior was predictable, and as companies learned more about their customers–and over time, they learned a lot–they built products tailored to a specific bracket.

    Leisure travelers wanted a place to disconnect from work, so companies developed concepts like resorts with amenities for different profiles, from luxury travelers to budget-conscious adventurers. Also, this accelerated the marketing efforts around popular tourist destinations, which was strengthened by offering special deals and promotions.

    On the other hand, business travelers needed a different set of features, like a central location to optimize their mobility within a city, elegant spaces to host business partners, such as conference rooms, cafes and spa centers, and to streamline payments and billing in line with the company’s accounting requirements.

    Related: Travel Trends Every Company Should Know

    With the wider adoption of remote work, a new trend that blends business and leisure has risen. There is more “bleisure” travel now, without a clear differentiation by destination or purpose of travel, but rather a merge and interpenetration of services and products depending on the behavior of certain customer groups.

    Both travel “hardware” — destinations, accommodations, flights — and travel “software” — services, payments, marketing and promotion — have mixed and “blended.” This has created a new market segment that traditional travel companies are eager to snatch.

    Here are three ways the business travel industry is being redefined and some potential trends and synergies that we might see in coming years.

    Related: 6 Secret Tools for Flying First Class (Without Paying Full Price)

    1. Everyone will need to be more flexible

    Work-from-anywhere policies have increased flexibility for everyone.

    A group of remote workers from San Francisco who flew to San Diego for a week-long bleisure trip might have enjoyed the city so much that they decided to stay for a month. A team from London visiting clients in Australia opted to extend their trip and report back to headquarters. In their free time, of course, they will enjoy all the natural wonders the country offers.

    The scenarios above are only two of myriad potential ways in which employees who can work from anywhere now join the digital nomad ranks, even if only temporarily. But with around 50% of U.S. workers able to work remotely and numbers in other countries rising, it is a situation that might happen very frequently.

    Something that companies need to understand is that bleisure travelers demand flexibility. A Google survey revealed that 85% of travel marketers considered flexibility with bookings and cancellations a very important factor.

    There are ways in which hospitality companies are adapting to this. CitizenM designed a pioneering hotel membership program, offering a fixed rate at its properties. Airbnb’s Flexible Search model has boosted travel numbers in Europe while having a positive, sustainable impact.

    The companies that will thrive catering to bleisure travelers provide flexibility in addition to other must-haves like affordability and an emphasis on the traveler’s experience.

    Related: 5 Travel Hacks to Boost Productivity on Every Trip

    2. Contact, connection and community will be key business drivers

    Companies that prioritize these three Cs will likely see a surge in their revenues.

    Contact: People who work from anywhere need good WiFi, a comfortable space to work, and easy access to conveniences like power outlets. Having these readily accessible will draw more people to your space.

    And if you’d like to take an extra step, here’s an idea from WeWork: private booths for those that need to take a Zoom call or engage in deep work. Another example is Delta’s project, in partnership with T-Mobile, which aims to introduce fast, free Wi-Fi in most aircraft by the end of 2024.

    Paired with contact comes connection. And here, I do not mean WiFi.

    One of the challenges that many digital nomads face is the lack of a community which can result in loneliness and disconnection. The need for human connection is paramount, especially when working for long hours looking at a screen.

    Hence, travel service providers must underscore the relevance of spaces fostering community, collaboration and social interaction.

    Placing a good value on connection results in the third C, which is community. When people feel inspired by a hospitality brand, they will either want to stay longer or come back more often. If the company has sister properties in other parts of the world, they will likely prioritize your brand.

    3. Expect increased cross-industry collaboration

    Before its pre-IPO ordeal, WeWork’s founders developed an idea called WeLive. It was seen as obnoxious at the time. Still, today, a concept like that is alluring for remote workers traveling for the first time, giving them immediate access to a community.

    Other brands, like Selina, have capitalized on this, building hostels and co-working spaces to diversify their revenue between the people who book accommodation, the people who book workspace, and the people who book both.

    While Selina was born with digital nomadism in mind, we can expect big hotel names like Hilton, Marriott, and IHG to plot a project that attempts to capture this attractive market niche. Concepts like Yotel or the Marriott-developed Moxy, which has dynamic lobbies that foster human interaction, are already addressing this demographic, and we should not be surprised if we see synergies between companies that are well-established in the hospitality market with those that have emerged in the coworking or shared office arena to provide the ultimate bleisure experience.

    Related: Ready for Takeoff: 7 Travel Tips for Remote Workers

    As the world continues to adapt to the reality of remote work, more trends will likely emerge. However, the concept of bleisure is something that is here to stay, and it is something that travel providers will need to consider in their growth and development. Given that this type of traveler tends to be highly community-oriented and has strong brand loyalty, the companies that manage to capture the bleisure segment effectively can gain an edge in today’s competitive and increasingly crowded market.

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    Ivan Saprov

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  • The Return to Office Movement is Causing a Mental Health Crisis. Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

    The Return to Office Movement is Causing a Mental Health Crisis. Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The great return to the office — hailed as the elixir for the languishing economy and the panacea for remote work’s woes — is slowly revealing an unforeseen dark side. Beneath the glitter of the office’s glass walls, an insidious scourge is quietly permeating: a mental health crisis. Think of it as a silent workplace apocalypse — one where zombies aren’t gnawing at your physical being, but where stress, anxiety and burnout gnaw at your peace of mind.

    Declining mental health: The invisible struggle

    The silent alarm bells began ringing with the findings of a recent study by The Conference Board. It’s like an unsettling bedtime story for CEOs, the monster under the business bed that refuses to be ignored. Around 34% of workers admitted to experiencing lower mental health levels compared to just six months ago. And as if this wasn’t disconcerting enough, 37% reported a decrease in their level of engagement and sense of belonging, paradoxically juxtaposed with them working harder than ever.

    This trend is starker amongst millennials, where 43% report decreased engagement, higher than 38% of Gen X and 34% of Baby Boomers. Consequently, 40% of millennials reported performing only what’s expected of them or less – what’s known as quiet quitting. This disengagement raises the critical question: Does declining mental health make workers less engaged in their jobs, or vice versa?

    Consider an artist for a moment, who was once passionate and inspired, now feeling a distancing disconnection from her muse. The canvas that was once vibrant and animated now appears hauntingly desolate. That’s what it’s like when an employee’s connection to the mission and purpose of their organization wanes.

    And the return to office looks like the key factor to blame. A whopping 52% of study participants indicated their preference for flexible/hybrid work schedules as a way of addressing their mental health struggles. And another form of flexibility, being able to take “no work” PTO days without guilt, would be valuable for 55% to help their mental health. That finding aligns with results from surveys and focus groups I run when helping clients transition to a return to office in a flexible hybrid work arrangement.

    The mental health-workload nexus

    The relationship between declining mental health and workload further amplifies these concerns. Among workers reporting decreased mental health, 48% work more than 50 hours per week. Half of the millennials reported their workload as detrimental to their mental health, higher than 48% of Gen X and 40% of Baby Boomers.

    Factors like poor workplace communication, the inability to balance personal and work life, and the time spent in meetings exacerbate these effects. A toxic work culture also takes a toll, with 26% of workers asserting that it negatively impacts their mental health.

    Related: Entrepreneurs Are Struggling With Mental Illness. Here are 5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health As An Entrepreneur

    Mental health support: A decreasing trend?

    Unfortunately, mental health and wellbeing support programs for workers seem to be on a downward trend. Available emotional wellbeing programs have dropped from 88% to 62% within a year, and financial wellbeing initiatives have seen a similar decline from 76% to 52%. Physical wellbeing programs, too, have seen a decrease from 74% to 54%. Despite availability, these programs are underutilized, with emotional wellbeing programs used by only 22% of those who have access to them.

    The plot thickens when we delve into the reluctance surrounding mental health discussions. The study reveals a startling fact — about 38% of employees feel like they’re walking on eggshells when talking to their managers about their mental health. It’s akin to playing a high-stakes game of charades, where no one can decipher your clues, and the consequences are all too real.

    Driven into a corner, employees have resorted to clandestine methods to address their mental health issues. The study reveals that 13% of workers took “unofficial mental health days,” 19% opted for sick days, and 18% donned a brave face, continuing to work despite their internal struggles. It’s like donning a mask each day, a facade that hides the turmoil within.

    Cognitive Biases: Unseen Puppeteers in the Workplace Drama

    Our minds are like overworked office interns, continuously juggling and processing colossal amounts of information. In this constant frenzy, cognitive shortcuts, or biases, come into play. They help us swiftly navigate complex decisions but sometimes lead us astray, causing distortions in our perception, thinking, and decision-making.

    The status quo bias is the human tendency to prefer the current state of affairs, leading to resistance to change. In the workplace, this bias can manifest in the continued adherence to traditional, inflexible work arrangements, despite evidence indicating their harmful effect on employee mental health.

    Employers might be overlooking the findings of The Conference Board study due to the status quo bias. It’s like sticking with an old, stuttering fax machine while a high-speed email system waits patiently on the sidelines. As comfortable as the current state may be, failing to evolve with the times has its pitfalls. In this case, it leads to the devaluation of employee mental health and wellbeing, reducing engagement and productivity levels.

    The empathy gap refers to our inability to understand our own or others’ emotional states from a different emotional state. In the current scenario, this bias could lead to a misunderstanding of employees’ mental health struggles.

    Imagine trying to comprehend the bone-chilling cold of the Arctic while basking in the tropical sun of Bali; difficult, isn’t it? That’s precisely how the empathy gap operates. Managers who have never grappled with mental health issues may find it challenging to understand their employees’ struggles.

    This cognitive blindspot could account for why 38% of employees feel uncomfortable discussing their mental health with their managers. It’s akin to trying to explain the concept of color to someone who’s been colorblind since birth.

    This gap may also explain why mental health support programs are not being utilized. If the architects of these programs have never experienced mental health struggles, they might not create programs that truly address the needs of those who have.

    In essence, the office is our mental orchestra, and these biases are the off-tune instruments. By recognizing and addressing them, we can finally begin to hear the symphony as it was meant to be played. It’s high time we tune in and harmonize our workplaces with notes of empathy, understanding and flexibility.

    Related: We Need a Real Commitment to Mental Health at Work. Here’s How (and Why).

    Conclusion: The future of work is here

    Employers have an opportunity to address the escalating mental health crisis. By adjusting workplace norms, embracing flexibility, and prioritizing mental health, we can create a healthier work environment. By adjusting workplace norms and embracing flexibility, companies can retain their diverse talent, ensuring that their workforce mirrors society’s richness. It’s like baking a multi-flavored cake — each ingredient adds its unique flavor, contributing to the delicious final product. As we strive to reflect society within our organizations, flexible work arrangements and mental health awareness will be the yeast that makes our workplace culture rise to the occasion. This isn’t just about checking boxes; it’s about understanding that a healthy mind is the greatest treasure to find. It’s time we start digging for it in our workplaces.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • The Real Reason Why the Return to Office is Failing | Entrepreneur

    The Real Reason Why the Return to Office is Failing | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Picture this: A stage where the drama of work unfolds, with actors struggling to find their parts, cues missing, and directors constantly changing the script. This is the current scene for many employees amidst the return to office (RTO) movement, according to a recent report by Appspace. Just like actors, employees are searching for their “line,” the cues to perform in a hybrid or remote work environment. However, the script is constantly changing and 93% of employees report their companies are not particularly adept at arranging the stage to suit the needs of the actors: namely, whether full-time or part-time office workers, they believe their organizations could do much better at improving the office experience. I find the same problems that the Appspace report discovered in the clients who I help transition to a flexible RTO and hybrid work policy.

    Related: You Should Let Your Team Decide Their Approach to Hybrid Work. A Behavioral Economist Explains Why and How You Should Do It.

    Fumbling through the RTO: Our current act

    In this act of our play, the office, once a well-known stage, now presents new challenges. The report reveals that only 3% of employees are exclusively in-office, while 43% have fully embraced remote work. This leaves a whopping 54% navigating the murky waters of hybrid work, a terrain as unknown as a forgotten Shakespearean tragedy. Much like actors forgetting their lines mid-performance, 70% of these employees are faltering, wasting precious time transitioning from remote to in-office work.

    Imagine being an actor on a stage, unsure if the person beside you is part of the cast or a misplaced audience member. An unsettling 51% of employees have experienced this confusion, unsure if someone they encountered in the office even worked for their company or had the authorization to be there. This is a vivid sign of the disconnect between employees and their workplace, a glaring indication that companies need to revise their scripts to improve their hybrid and remote work policies.

    In any play, the director is key to bringing the script to life, ensuring every actor knows their part and every scene flows seamlessly. In our workplace drama, technology should ideally play this role. Yet, it seems to be more like a director who has left the building, leaving actors scrambling to fill the void.

    One-third of respondents reported their organizations haven’t adopted any technologies that support the RTO movement. Without the proper tools, these workplaces are like stages without props, leaving employees struggling to navigate their roles. Consequently, 67% of employees aren’t completely satisfied with their company’s current workplace tools and technologies, adding another layer of complexity to this convoluted plot.

    Redefining the script: A call to action

    Employees are shouting, “line!” waiting for cues on how to navigate the hybrid work scene. They want their companies to provide consistent and simultaneous communications, whether they are on stage (in-office) or behind the scenes (remote). A strong 85% consider their colleagues’ presence when deciding whether to come into the office, underlining the crucial role of social connections in this new era of work.

    Just as an understudy may need extra rehearsal to shine on stage, employees are also calling for more training on workplace tools. It’s high time for businesses to step up and rewrite the script, directing their workforce towards a harmonious blend of flexibility, collaboration and effective technology use.

    Related: Employers: Hybrid Work is Not The Problem — Your Guidelines Are. Here’s Why and How to Fix Them.

    The invisible force of cognitive biases in the return to office dilemma

    The empathy gap, our cognitive bias that makes it difficult to understand our own emotional states in different situations or empathize with others, is contributing significantly to the RTO disarray. Picture this: Your employee, a talented software engineer, thrived in a remote work environment. Now, you’re asking them to return to the office, but they’re pushing back, citing increased productivity at home and less commute-induced stress.

    For management, it can be tough to understand this emotional response if they’re not in the same boat. They might assume that everyone will be thrilled to return to the camaraderie of the office environment. But, without the ability to empathize with that remote worker’s perspective, they’re making decisions with a critical blind spot. A touch of empathy could go a long way in crafting policies that resonate with every member of the team.

    Do you remember the office pre-pandemic? The cubicles, the meetings in tight conference rooms, the obligatory office small talk? Many organizations, driven by the cognitive bias known as the status quo bias, are gravitating toward reinstating these familiar, yet dated, workplace structures. This bias, our preference for the current or past state of affairs over change, is causing a roadblock in the evolution of the workplace.

    Take a step back and think. Do we really need to return to the traditional office model, or are we just holding onto it because it’s comfortable? Unfortunately, comfort doesn’t equate to efficiency or productivity. While the prospect of change may seem daunting, an innovative, forward-thinking approach to RTO could be the game-changer your organization needs.

    Acknowledging and understanding these cognitive biases is a critical first step. The empathy gap and status quo bias are not insurmountable hurdles, but rather guideposts pointing us towards a more enlightened approach to RTO. As we move forward, let’s swap out the empathy gap for a dose of empathy, replace the status quo bias with a pinch of daring innovation, and create a return-to-office strategy that truly works for everyone. Because, let’s face it, who said the office ever needed cubicles in the first place?

    The curtain call: Embrace the change

    The RTO movement is like a matinee performance that still needs a lot of work before the evening show. Organizations need to hear the echoes from the auditorium — the employee feedback — and take action. Only then can the drama of RTO transform into a blockbuster performance, with all actors (employees) playing their roles effectively, no matter where their stage (workplace) is.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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