The coronavirus has, in one month, that which no product, advertising, or pitch could: force companies to change their corporate culture and business practices. With entire cities quarantined, worldwide companies had to adopt remote working practices and new management methods.
Check out some of the major changes in the coming years:
Many companies still require employees to arrive at 9 am and remain on the desk until the end of the day. It is clear that work still needs to be done, but options that encourage productivity, health, and good humor are on the horizon. Offering more flexible hours and the possibility of Home Office will be increasingly a prerequisite for retaining talent.
For many years, the maximum teamwork was religiously followed by the companies. However, this approach is not always the most effective for delivering tasks. Even in the most integrated teams, there are jobs that should be done individually, extracting the best of the individuality of its members.
With the obligation of spatially decentralized work, companies may need to rethink the design of their offices. Private spaces that enhance individual performance can help employees deliver that “something more” that is expected of them.
Need to stay home? Consider this a great opportunity. Revisiting the company’s processes, this is a great time to find loopholes and think about how innovative processes can improve flows and products. Errors can occur? Certainly. Companies that do not make mistakes, do not innovate. This is the time to do something new, something different.
The new and old managers have a new challenge: managing teams that are not whole in the same place. Companies now need to focus on hiring professionals with experience in remote work, i.e. professionals who are excellent communicators and who can work through “quick calls” and text messages.
Maybe that coffee in the afternoon, or fraternization end of the month, does not meet the majority shares of the company. But there’s no problem! Now, the internal marketing strategies need to be increasingly complex and capillaries. The celebration rituals need to adapt to the new reality.
For example, several companies already practice Summer Office when all employees spend a period working together in a more relaxed environment, such as beaches or sites.
In times of so many changes, the company’s positioning, the tone of voice in social networks, the speeches of the leaders, all will gain increasing importance in the construction of the new company culture.