Stop Blaming Remote Work for Your Productivity Woes

Nowadays, the general public discourse on work productivity revolves nearly fully across the in-office vs distant work debate. I am not a fan of this as a result of it tends to scale back productiveness to a one-dimensional metric.

Clearly, the place you’re employed issues, however this issue’s significance has been overstated in recent times. This, in flip, permits firms guilty productiveness shortcomings on their present work mode and ignore extra systemic points. Does your workforce have the mandatory instruments at their disposal? Are they in tune with the corporate’s priorities? Have they got clear KPIs, and the way is productiveness evaluated?

Furthermore, isolating productiveness from different key workforce metrics reminiscent of worker satisfaction, engagement and motivation is, in my view, nonsensical — what is the level of a barely extra productive workforce in the event that they’re massively extra more likely to give up?

Spotify and eBay have dedicated to a work-from-anywhere policy, they usually’re doing nice. Amazon and Apple, after introducing RTO mandates, are additionally doing nice.

On the finish of the day, productiveness isn’t a lot concerning the whereas it’s concerning the how. It would not matter for those who work from a cubicle, sofa or cafe — if the (distant) workplace tradition is damaged, productiveness will endure.

So, as an alternative of dwelling on whether or not your workforce must be distant, the way in which to essentially enhance productiveness is to concentrate on extra basic components. Listed here are 5 hallmarks of a productive workplace tradition.

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1. Clear communication

In thriving workplaces, you will discover common workforce conferences with clear, actionable outcomes, open channels for suggestions and transparent decision-making processes. Workers have easy accessibility to mandatory data and really feel snug asking questions. They’re updated about their duties, timelines and expectations. You will additionally see the leaders lead by instance — overcommunicating priorities and progress to maintain the whole group on the identical web page whereas remaining accessible to their workers.

This alignment and information-sharing permit groups — remote or not — to remain targeted and keep away from wasted time, misunderstandings and systemic unproductivity.

2. Collaborative atmosphere

Excessive-performing places of work domesticate cooperation throughout groups and departments to interrupt down limitations, encourage numerous views and allow workers to deal with advanced challenges extra successfully. Collaboration would not all the time occur naturally or productively. To profit from it in a manner that contributes to the corporate’s backside line, collaboration have to be fostered and nurtured by way of shared targets, devoted practices and intentional management.

12 months after 12 months, collaboration was named as one of many prime points plaguing distant staff and is mostly perceived as a powerful benefit of an in-person atmosphere. Whereas there is definitely some advantage so far, that is one other issue the place, in my expertise, firm practices, insurance policies and approaches are king.

Distant work would not preclude resource-sharing throughout departments, team-building actions, data sharing and normal camaraderie, nor does in-person work assure it.

3. A goal-oriented method

For each communication and collaboration to be efficient, they have to be underpinned by a goal-oriented approach. In any other case, it is simply chit-chat and get-togethers. When particular person workers and whole groups perceive how their contributions straight impression overarching aims, it fosters a way of possession and accountability. It additionally offers all-important route to the work that defines each the duties and their function.

With out clear targets, any exercise is productive, giving a deceptive image of progress when, in actuality, it is largely optics. A goal-oriented method ensures that effort and time are channeled towards a very powerful priorities, driving tangible outcomes for the enterprise.

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4. Work-life stability

I am a large advocate of a wholesome work-life stability and breaks all through the workday as a result of workers can solely give their 100% after they have 100% to offer. This implies versatile scheduling, beneficiant break day insurance policies, advantages geared towards supporting well being and strongly discouraging any after-hours work and communication, with the management setting an instance.

Right here, it is essential to notice that one of many generally cited benefits of distant work is a greater work-life stability. Whereas, sure, not having to commute is a serious upside, the fact is that distant staff usually work longer hours, test their emails after work and usually have a tougher time sustaining boundaries between their skilled and private lives. Whatever the mode of labor, it falls on the management to encourage a wholesome work-life stability and resist the urge to benefit from folks’s eagerness and dedication in change for short-term advantages.

5. Development mindset

Final however not least, a productive workplace tradition is usually characterised by a growth mindset, each in relation to the corporate’s targets and the betterment of its workers. We’ve got already lined the previous, however the latter is simply as essential, as worker schooling and growth straight contribute to the corporate’s productiveness and flexibility.

Ongoing coaching alternatives, mentorship packages and recognition of each effort and achievement domesticate a mindset of steady enchancment. Furthermore, the funding within the workforce usually fosters loyalty, particularly when private and firm development align, providing alternatives for profession development. That is a particularly highly effective motivator that may drive complete firms, particularly up-and-coming ones.