Since March, I have been working mostly in a home office myself, too. Of course, this also means that a significant number of my clients - business leaders, business owners, teams, groups - have chosen this solution in the wake of the pandemic. So I have direct and indirect experience of working from home. In addition, as I have been interested in the subject for quite a long time, I have also conducted a quick series of interviews over the past few weeks with the aim of looking at my own experiences so far, with a specific focus on the kind of help and support employees expect during the forced home-office period.
Personally, I am in favour of working from home. At least for a (significant) part of the working days. Having said that, I have found that it doesn't work everywhere, not in all areas, and obviously there are fields where it is impractical.
There are far more prejudices and fears surrounding working from home than the experience of the last 7-8 months would confirm. That said, we have to admit that not everyone likes it. And there's a huge difference between an organisation going down this road on its own, or having little choice under the circumstances...
However, in summary, let's look at the most important areas where employees (both subordinates and managers) welcome support!
You can't do it without the right gadgetry! This can be considered a "minimum requirement"! The necessary equipment is usually provided by the companies. What is not necessarily trivial is fast and efficient IT support, which can be used seamlessly in all cases where either the machines or the programs and systems are breaking down. For many people, even something as simple as getting the right wifi is a problem, so company support can come in handy. I know of several organisations where the home-office scheme has been a success: those who need it can borrow a more comfortable, healthier office chair, or even a larger monitor, a more professional head set used in-house, etc. for the duration of the home-office.
Working from home includes the possibility of flexible working hours. This is a very complex issue, and I will try to simplify it: everyone works at home in different circumstances and in a unique life situation. In the meantime, teamwork and collaboration require consistency and quick availability. It is worth being aware that in changed circumstances, 'normal' practice can rarely be maintained. Those organisations that have created new rules, clearly defining the time and forum for 'joint' work, and allowing sufficient freedom for individual employees to allocate their own working time outside of this time, have been able to operate more easily.
Of course, managers often feel a loss of control because they cannot see who is doing what and when. They try to remedy this with more frequent meetings. Managerial attention is clearly needed, but it cannot be overdone! An example to follow was given by one of my clients, who are doing well in this respect: 'The good thing about not being overloaded with meetings and accountability is that I get confidence and a free hand. But only as long as I meet the deadlines and do my work to a high standard.'
For many, the pressure of receiving emails from superiors at extreme times, even hours after normal working hours, with tasks and things to do, is a major pressure. It is very easy to create a corporate culture where we suggest that we are a no-stop shop, always on call, always available! In fact: there is a constant crisis! In some cases, this is true at a given time. But then, again in the words of one of my clients, 'It's better to tell the truth, to talk about what is. Then at least I know what we are fighting for." But in most cases, that is not the case. Developing a common practice can help in this regard.
We have to admit that there are households, there are individual life situations, where good quality home work is practically impossible. It is worth thinking about how we can provide a well thought-out framework for office work (in some cases a rotating system has been set up, in others temporary offices have been made available for workers to rent).
For many, the forced work at home, the lack of social contacts and personal encounters is a heavy burden to bear. It's not easy for everyone to manage their own working hours - it's easy to "slip away"... There are so many new and unfamiliar challenges to face, which can test our mental resilience. It can be very helpful for your organisation to organise optional professional forums for your employees to assess their real needs, with the involvement of credible experts on topics such as these, which are relevant to them.
It may not be worth starting now, but where it was part of the culture anyway, it is useful to have online programmes that have the explicit aim of shaping and building the team, the community.
If I could highlight just one thing, I would say: as leaders, take the time and courage to assess the realistic needs of your team, establish the rules of the home, be consistent in following them, be clear about your expectations!
Vince Gulyás, September, 2020.
