After the global pandemic, the entire world of industry underwent an experiment in remote work. Remote work was intended to be an interim solution but has now become a long-term way of working across many industries and companies all over the world. They have adapted this way to accurately operate the business. For business leaders, this change reflects both an opportunity for innovation and a challenge of leading an organization with coherence, productivity, and culture in a remote world.
As leaders and organizations adapt to the new normal, it’s important to understand both challenges and opportunities presented by remote work. And to explain this, GBSRC, which is one of the top MBA universities in Pune, explored how leaders can leverage the benefits of this transition while realizing the challenges to remote working.
Navigating the Challenges of Remote Communication
Global Business School and Research Centre discovered one of the closest challenges that comes with remote work, which is communication. In the office, leaders can visit workers, hold chatting meetings, and brew an atmosphere of spontaneous interaction. Yet, without the in-person aspect of communication in a remote environment, it is easy for employees to misunderstand, lag, or feel disconnected from collaboration.
So how do companies solve this issue? The answer is to have business leaders propagate clear and transparent communication through digital means. This can be achieved by creating regular check-ins, using tools, and creating a team culture that allows for open communication in general. Implementing dashboards to allow for asynchronous communication is also a great idea for organization workers living in different time zones who would not need to be accessible online simultaneously.
For leaders, over-communicating what individual people have expectations/personal goals about would be key in identifying a leading constraint. Without having physical interactions with team members, employees usually don't have confidence in their tasks or project timelines. Therefore, setting up structured communication protocols such as weekly team meetings or daily stand-up meetings could help lessen all of these constraints, barring any emergent challenges that arise.
Maintaining Employee Engagement and Productivity
A major challenge of remote work is maintaining employee engagement and productivity. With employees across different locations, it can be difficult for leaders to stay on top of performance or ensure that people are engaged and focused. The absence of in-person oversight that is typical in a traditional office can contribute to employees getting distracted or feeling isolated, both of which can impact productivity.
Business leaders will need to change their approach to engagement—an organized culture which focuses on trust and performance-driven culture. Instead of micromanaging employees, focusing on getting deliverables done is essential. Setting expectations, using project managing tools, and giving employees the flexibility to manage their time are essential to creating the right environment. Increasing accountability while providing autonomy will increase morale and engagement.
In addition, building in opportunities for social interactions such as team-building, an informal virtual coffee chat, or using gamified style inter-team collaboration tools can allow employees to get to know their teammates better and create social connections. Engagement does not have to be strictly related to work; building human connections is just as important in a virtual workplace.
Overcoming Technological and Security Barriers
According to GBSRC, remote work is built on technology which can double as a strength and a curse. While technology allows for remote collaboration, it can also be a challenge in areas such as security and infrastructure. Employees have access to their company networks from various locations, increasing cybersecurity threats and risk of data breaches.
Business leaders must value strategic cybersecurity protocols to secure sensitive information. Secure VPNs, multi-factor authentication, and training employees to identify phishing and other security threats is paramount. Effectively, leaders should look to employ cloud-based systems that continue to give flexibility and security to their business operations.
The technical elements required include linking employees up with the appropriate tools and resources to be effective workers from home. This means being able to provide effective software, high-speed internet, and some hardware. No remote culture will be an effective culture without the technology to accommodate remote work. Leaders must be willing to invest in their teams to be successful when working remotely.
Embracing the Opportunities for Flexibility and Innovation
Although remote work has its challenges, it has also opened up some exciting possibilities for business leaders to experiment with old ways of working and become more flexible and innovative. The greatest opportunity that remote work allows is the freedom to hire people from anywhere in the world—without the limits of geography, introducing much-needed diversity and new ideas into organizations.
Additionally, remote work can provide substantially more flexible working hours for employees to dedicate time to work, family, and their personal life, which can improve satisfaction, retention, and productivity. Business leaders who can succumb to this change to create a work culture that supports work-life balance can empower their employees to perform at a higher level.
Finally, remote work encourages organizations to be innovative in how their organization operates. Leaders are constantly looking for and creating new ways to improve workflows, simplify processes, and increase workplace collaboration through new cutting-edge tools. Furthermore, many of these innovations do not stop at remote work and are implemented in office environments such as utilizing cloud-based storage programs, developing more automated workflows, and utilizing AI tools for productivity.
Final Thoughts
GBSRC concludes that the rise of remote work is a trend that is here to stay, and business leaders must find ways to adapt. While remote communication, employee engagement, and technology are all challenges that cannot be ignored, with careful planning, veracity, and the right technologies, leaders can quickly leverage the power of remote work to foster innovation, flexibility, and ultimately a thriving business.
When leaders demonstrate trust, results, and a culture of collaboration, they can embrace the challenges of remote work and position their business for growth in an ever-changing world. The future of work is here, and it’s remote.