Is it Time to Make Long-Term Remote Work Plans?

We are now past the halfway mark of this year. The majority of which most of us have spent quarantined. If you and your company have gone from adjusting to a temporary work-from-home situation to a now temporary work-at-the-office situation, you are not alone. But seeing as the future, with regards to the pandemic, is quite uncertain, it may be time to make some long-term remote work plans.

While some jobs require physical presence, these past few months of remote working have brought many to realize that a well-planned and organized zoom meeting can be just as productive as the coveted face-to-face meetings. Not to mention cheaper, more time-effective, and simpler to organize. It has also proven to be just as productive or in some cases even more so for many employees and bosses alike.

This could either mean a new paradigm for the future of work, or a temporary change in plans to deal with a crisis. No one can truly know what will happen, but what does matter are the renewed and revised systems and plans to achieve goals. As a leader you need to decide whether, as a long-term plan, you want to make the remote work a permanent or even semi-permanent fixture, or go back to the way things were.

A Gartner article from April, 2020 mentioned that 74% of companies plan to permanently shift to more remote work post COVID-19.

Here are a few things to consider while you make that decision;

How do you envision your company in the future?

You need to think in detail about how you picture your company in the near and far future. Consider the technologies or kind of technologies you want to associate with. Consider the way you picture your office running – whether you see something remote, something at a physical office space or maybe a mix of both. Also think about the process that you want to imbibe. Visualize the personality of your company and how you would want to serve your customer. Don’t disregard all the temporary changes made for the sudden adjustment to the pandemic. Use them as your stepping stones to create a more suited plan for the future of the company and the brand. Considering the changes in the current situation and the ones likely to happen in the future, think about whether you would want to resort to the company you always were or evolve into a new one. That doesn’t mean changing your business, but it might mean changing the way you do business.

What are the implications of that vision?

Whatever vision you choose, it will come with a volley of implications to consider. By adjusting to the remote working system, even at a partial capacity, you will need to consider many things, whether processes, employment contracts, teams, and more. You should ask yourself whether you are hoping to go back to the way things were or gearing up to formulate a plan to adjust to the, so-called, ‘new normal’? Do you want to have the higher productivity that’s been the result of the current environment? Or a more familiar office environment where you are more in control? You must also consider the potential savings on a physical office space. But that will need to be traded in for new processes and systems and a whole new way of working.

How will you achieve those goals?

With whichever option you choose, it’s important to make a detailed plan of how you will achieve your company goals and consider the feasibility of that path for you. This will possibly turn into a long exercise. It will help to imagine the chosen system in action. Image instances where the system you have chosen is at work to solve problems, generate business, and achieve success at small and large projects. Imagine how this system will help your company evolve and grow.

Consider the requirements and the impact of the system

While you imagine the goals coming to life, consider the things you will need to help you get there. Imagine the technologies you will need. The current ones and the ones you will need in the future. Consider the tools your team will need to be effective whether they are productivity tools or teamwork tools, as well as the processes and culture. You might need to overhaul the way you document in your company. Also consider the kind and structure of teams you will require and find new ways to measure progress and productivity. Review all your company policies and rework them to suit your new plan better. Consider the overheads you will need to take into account in every situation. Another extremely important aspect to consider is the morale, contentment, health, resources, and environment for the employees in order for them to be productive and motivated.

Consider the past

While planning for the future is one thing, the effects of the past will not disappear. Which means, the investments the company has made in the past might still be affecting the present situation. For example, many companies have probably invested in office spaces, equipment, talent, resources, and amenities that are very specific for a physical office. While planning the future, you need to consider these. It doesn’t mean you have to resort to the way things were. It also doesn’t mean that you have to change the way things were. For every company this situation will be different. Consider all your options with regards to your previous investments, and find a path that agrees for the future you have envisioned. Even if there are a few obstacles along the way.

While you do consider the current way of things, setting up a new system means starting afresh. This will help the employees transition better without any confusion as to the new order of things. It might be a good idea to discuss this new structure with the employees at different levels of your decision-making. This will help you understand what is a more sustainable option.

Summary

Q. What happens to the current way of working in the process of formulating a new plan?
A. The recent and temporary changes made to the way of working can be used as stepping stones to create a more suited plan for the future of the company.

Q. Why is it important to consider the past while making plans for the future?
A. The investments made in the past might still be in effect so it’s important to consider all the options available while making a plan for the future.