The disruption caused by COVID has had a profound impact on workplace. In a few short months, there have been major changes in where and how many people work. The mass transition to telework has been challenging for many, but the impulse to go back to “normal” should be questioned. We should first reconnect with the purpose of the workplace: to connect and support people in collaborative work.
Before reentering the physical office, it’s necessary to think through the benefits of doing so in the context of the COVID moment. Returning to a socially-distant workplace may not measurably improve employee experience, collaboration or performance over continuing to telework. The measures necessary to limit viral transmission could hurt company culture or intrude upon employee privacy.
We have just witnessed the sudden emergence of something that looks much more like the future of work most of us imagined. Previously, large-scale telework was challenging for some employers to accept. Some feared a drop in employee efficacy or an important means of supporting the culture and brand of an organization. Being “open-for-business” suddenly means being fully distributed, and it is now clear that many more people could have been teleworking than did—they are doing it right now. Teams worldwide are learning how a distributed workforce can maintain or even improve culture, community, health, and organizational performance.
Below, we explore three key questions about the current telework moment:
How can technology support workplaces that are both safe and high-performance?
Will this shift last, and should we want it to?
What can we learn about navigating disruption and change?