Workplace of the future: What we can learn from the Corona outbreak

Imagine the Corona virus spreading as rapidly here as in China or northern Italy. When stores and businesses are closed, work must continue – as far as possible.

One option is currently available: remote work – employees stay at home and complete their tasks from the home office. A state of emergency such as the one currently prevailing in Lombardy would be like an unexpected dress rehearsal in this country. Will the “Remote Work” project succeed?

In the following sections, we will show you how to prepare your employees for exceptional situations while minimizing the undesirable consequences of modern working methods such as remote work.

We wish you an inspiring read.

Remote Work: Advantages and Pitfalls

Working from a home office has been growing in popularity for years. Companies expect it to increase efficiency, motivation and employee satisfaction, for example. Initial study results from health insurance companies also show that employees who work from home at least occasionally are less likely to take sick leave than their colleagues at present-based workplaces. The employees themselves primarily want to reduce their commute time by working from home, as well as better harmonize their family life with their job.

The increasing desire for remote work contrasts with the reality: Both employees and companies usually have little experience with “remote working”. Working from home brings advantages – if both sides keep a few things in mind.

One particular danger for inexperienced remote workers is the feeling of being isolated from colleagues. The employee is no longer constantly on site and thus less connected to the unofficial flow of information. Short conversations in the hallway or during lunch together can be decisive for decisions made in the official meeting. It is therefore all the more important that remote workers are provided with all important information in a targeted manner.

In addition, purely digital communication is prone to errors because it is reduced to one communication channel. Not every employee, for example, can express themselves so precisely in writing that all important information reaches their colleagues in the company. In a face-to-face conversation, people use all their senses to pass on and receive information. Here, it is important to find a practicable solution for each employee. If misunderstandings occur, tolerance, understanding and cohesion are needed within the team so that no conflict arises from an oversight.

Last but not least: Employees only benefit from remote work if they organize themselves well. Poor time management has been shown to lead to less job satisfaction and higher stress levels among home workers than among their colleagues in the company’s own office.

Strengthening team spirit in a digital and global working world

Despite all the technical possibilities, our philosophy places people at the center. Because without people, any economic activity becomes meaningless.

A customized team event offers several advantages:

• It strengthens the WE feeling and thus promotes cohesion and solidarity among team members.
• Participants improve their communication skills.
• The event offers a special setting in which internal communication is trained and realized.

A strong team spirit acts as a resilience factor for the team. Even if a special circumstance – such as the current Corona outbreak – extremely affects operations, a strong team can successfully overcome this challenge. This is just as true when employees are regularly unable to be on-site at their jobs. Regardless of whether they spend this time in the home office or on a business trip. Going through a playful adventure together welds the participants together and remains in their memories in the long term.

Our team events also teach your employees how to deal constructively with the issues of “digital communication” and “isolation” in a motivating and simple way. Remote work, project teams and stays abroad are part of modern working life, but require high communicative and social skills. This is exactly where our team events come in. They offer a special setting in which participants can talk to each other in a positive way and improve their communication skills.

Such experiences offer an important counterbalance to the increased distance that modern working life often entails.

CONCLUSION

Remote work will play an increasingly important role in a digital and globalized working world – even independent of the current Corona outbreak. With our team events, you strengthen your employees and ensure team success. We will be happy to advise you personally and organize an event tailored to your needs.