Rethinking Work After the Pandemic: 11 Lessons from Remote Work

At the end of last year, a sudden COVID-19 outbreak plunged the whole world into turmoil. This "black swan event" has had a broad and profound impact across the globe. Organizations everywhere have been working to mitigate the pandemic's negative effects, with limited success. There is no doubt that this crisis will permanently change the way we work.

The current crisis is indeed a challenge for technology-based remote work, and companies worldwide stand to learn a great deal about staying connected with remote employees, customers, and partners. Meanwhile, managers are learning to juggle multiple tasks and projects — and keep difficult ones moving forward — without face-to-face communication.

Here are 11 lessons this crisis offers for the future of remote work:

1. Working from home becomes the norm

During this crisis, many people realized one thing — their work can actually be done from home. After the pandemic ends, if necessary, you can talk with your manager about the possibility of working from home. Part of most jobs can be done remotely. Even without the virus, we urgently need a system that balances work and life.

2. Take a sick day when you need one

If you're sick, stay home. In the past, many employees felt their workplace culture discouraged sick leave, so they dragged themselves to work even while ill to show dedication. "Look, I came to work even though I'm sick — aren't I working hard?" That mindset needs to change now. Try working from home instead, and don't infect your colleagues.

3. Standardize remote work

Think about whether some roles and tasks in your work can be done remotely. If so, draft some work-from-home guidelines. Treat the current crisis as an experiment — a test of whether your technology and hardware are up to supporting remote work. Try having every employee work from home for one day first. That way, you'll know exactly which tasks can be done at home and which require physical presence — for example, username and password logins, printing needs, phone line setups, video conferencing, and document signing.

4. Systematize team norms

Different employees have different needs and different views on remote work. Companies can encourage team members to discuss among themselves and coordinate conflicting schedules to meet everyone's needs. For example, a team can set a "team time" for group discussion and collaboration.

5. Scale the work structure

Remote work by a company or team can cause confusion or communication breakdowns in the short term, so it's necessary to establish an effective decision-making and communication structure. Cross-functional teams are one approach. Each team has clear goals and reporting milestones, allowing them to respond quickly to instructions and tasks from above.

6. Make information flow effective

In the future, the absence of one or more team members may become the norm, and existing rules will change accordingly — teams need to get used to these changes. Make sure information flows smoothly among team members and materials are backed up in time; besides remote workers' copies, important materials and documents should stay in the office. Expand employees' skills through training so absent members' work can be covered by others.

7. Understand the daily reality of working from home

For remote workers, there is plenty of simple, practical advice: keep your normal working routine, separate your work and living zones, reduce noise distractions, and schedule breaks. One more thing: set clear boundaries between work and life.

8. Lead remotely

Managing people is one of the trickiest parts of remote work. Management needs to set clear goals and communicate them clearly to everyone in order to mobilize all employees. It's therefore essential to cultivate a results-oriented culture, empowering teams and holding them accountable for outcomes. At the same time, encourage open, honest, and effective communication.

9. Develop a "mistakes allowed" mindset

You need to spot ineffective work and change it promptly. In the long run, teams that keep learning, work efficiently, and quickly build mechanisms for sharing ideas are usually the most successful. An R&D team at an industry-leading high-tech manufacturer compared weekly productivity between working from home and the office, and by adjusting variables, set optimal work-from-home targets.

10. A dedicated workspace at home is a necessity

As remote work becomes the new normal, it's necessary to set up an office area at home. For employees who work from home long term, having the right equipment matters — and that means more than a suitable desk and chair. Plan carefully and create an environment that maximizes your work efficiency.

Chair: Avisa

11. Harness the power of technology

Effective remote work has some basic prerequisites: fast, stable, secure networks, plus other electronic devices. We also need SaaS tools to collaborate, communicate, share files, and manage progress effectively. Companies should train employees on how to use these tools.

Key takeaway

Forward-looking companies are watching this work-from-home experiment closely, learning from its patterns and lessons. It offers valuable insight into how we can adapt to the new normal that will emerge in the future.