Staying connected, company culture and maximising workflow...
Tobi Lutke, CEO of Shopify recently shared a tweet that included a rather bold statement that office centricity is over. After the resurgence in Auckland, lockdowns do come and go and the future is looking forever changed.
With this in mind there are things employers/leaders need to be more mindful of and that is how do we ensure our workforce can not only survive but thrive and evolve in this “new norm”?
Staying Connected
Never before has clear and concise communications around team goals for the week, month and beyond been more vital. Talk to employers who had great IT systems in place before Covid-19 hit and they immediately tell you that it has helped hugely to support their business operations during this uncertain time.
As remote working increases and office centricity decreases having a robust digital platform and IT systems to work off is key. Staying connected doesn’t just rely on Zoom meetings however.
Staying connected also means consistent communications, setting ground rules, having clear strategies and expectations in place so everyone is on the same page. Using digital communication tools that support clarity and operational tasks is crucial for productivity.
This whole working remotely office landscape won’t be all figured out in one go it’s a journey but a critical part of business ahead.
Locking In Positive Company Culture
We’ve certainly been challenged in the workplace lately and we can either be a passenger or a driver. As a driver we have the opportunity to create a new future and a massive impact on that is building and maintaining a positive company culture.
Maintain strong relationships, encourage inclusivity, reward and incentivise where necessary, praise in group situations and leave hard conversations to one-on-one meets.
Do you have a current vision and mission statement? It could be a good time to sit down with your strategic partners to create clear messages to share in the workplace
There are opportunities to be had but we have to be brave enough to move out of our own way and look at challenges as new opportunities and how we can develop the culture that is “all for one and one for all”
Key point: The opportunity to connect with a business coach to reflect and review on what is working and what isn’t is just one action that creates a greater sense of control and confidence during any change situation. At this time you may want to include key team members in these sessions not just stakeholders for greater inclusiveness in operational strategy.
Spanner or Planner | Maximising Workflow
In the book, Mind Gym there is a section on whether you are a spanner or a planner. If you’re always focused on the problem you’re constantly throwing a spanner in the works. By nature these people are not maximising workflow because they’re constantly reactive, waste energy and time on worrying how things can’t be done in this new norm and blame others for their own lack of productivity. PS - this hasn’t just been whilst working remotely, this happens in the office too.
On the other hand you have the planners and this is what we all have to be to survive and thrive. Planners come up with plans of action and the wonderful part about that is they can influence others. They are proactive and create new ideas and solutions to keep workflow at a maximum. They’re in control and they concentrate on getting the job done.
Key point: Task - Who are your planners? How can they help create a remote workflow strategy and tool kits for everyone to jump aboard the remote working productivity trail?
Bright Light Bright Light | Stay Focused
Mindset is key when it comes to staying focused working remotely. With all these distractions - TV, fridge, coffee pot, social media and more. So how do you keep your team on track?
It’s important we all develop a couple of essential habits:
Setting your intentions for the day
Working with purpose
Setting intentions each day allows you to pinpoint key tasks and actions. You can do this individually or as a team.
Working with purpose helps you understand what you’re trying to achieve and why, and hence helps with focus. If you know you’re an important cog in the wheel you’re more likely to appreciate the importance and need for getting your job done on time. This has a positive impact for yourself and others which builds energy and momentum and hence maximises workflow.
Of course staying focused also means getting a productive routine going. Get up, get dressed and get going (and clear the clutter)!
At Grace Team Accounting, Tauranga Accountants we want to be a big part of the “new norm solution” and help businesses not just survive but thrive. Our Business Coaching helps with positive growth and development in your business. If you have ideas, strategies and tools you are using that are helping your workforce we’d love to hear what they are so we can create a sharing platform for all. Let us know!