Overview
The behavioral changes necessitated by a new way of collaboration will be deliberate. We’re only now coming to understand the importance of mundane interactions – waves hello, small talk, body language – and their absence in the workplace has proven troubling. Nonetheless, the commonly held insight that psychological safety yields better collaboration holds true. Vulnerability, directness, and intention, once desired, are becoming requirements for professional interaction.
Takeaways
- An unintended consequence of remote work is the loss of “implicit” or subconscious behavioral information
- This is incredibly valuable for understanding workforce, engagement, and so on
- There is an opportunity to measure small interactions and make the effects or meanings of “mundane behaviors” explicit
Excerpts
- “I believe we are sharing different sides of ourselves. Our perception of each other seems more genuine, which makes us feel much more connected and is allowing us to be more comfortably vulnerable”
- “Working remotely asks us to be more intentional in how we talk and collaborate “
- “The hope is that as our workforce evolves as a result of the crisis, we bring more empathy to our everyday connections”
- “Human-to-human connections still matter . . . it’s important to go beyond just mindlessly asking how your employees are doing, especially when supervisors can’t simply pass by desks and wave hello.”
- “WFH is showcasing new ways of working and habits debunking old ideas that it leads to low productivity, less visibility and little opportunity for collaboration”
Stakeholders
- Remote manager/advocate
- Company decision-maker/executive
Robinson, Bryan. “How Remote Working Is Reshaping A Future New World Of Work.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 May 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2020/05/04/how-remote-working-is-reshaping-a-future-new-world-of-work/.
