Slow Yer Roll.
I’ve seen a variety of posts in the past few days noting how some corporations are “rethinking” their stance on remote working in light of COVID-19 forcing their hands.
Real estate costs represent a huge chunk of an organization’s overhead. So whenever companies can do so, they try to reduce that overhead. Makes sense. But it is also that cost-cutting zeal that drove the proliferation of open-plan (aka petri dish) work places. Sold as a means to enhance collaboration, studies have repeatedly shown that open plan can do the opposite of what it was purported to do. It may be effective in some work settings, but not in all. It turned out to not be the promised productivity panacea.
Now, with all the simulation graphics we’ve seen of late showing how germs spread through a cough or a sneeze, it is no wonder that open plan contributed to an increase in sick days.
So I can imagine company leadership is thinking: “Wow. We can reduce our physical footprint and avoid the downsides of people working shoulder-to-shoulder. Let’s shift to more remote working.”
And to this I say: “Slow yer roll.”
Yes, there are definitely benefits to remote work. There are also downsides to remote work. Just as open plan is not the be-all-and-end-all, neither is remote. There is more likely a middle ground. The question is, how does one locate that middle ground? This article in HBR from just late last year, highlights the challenges of open plan and remote working and suggests a logical path.
Another piece in FastCompany correctly notes that people have been lost in the equation as companies have redesigned work spaces in recent years. So, this is an opportunity for internal comms to step up and encourage companies to do something radical:
ask your people for their input
listen to their input
engage in dialog
Find out what your people value in a workplace environment. Ask them for input on how they can be most productive in the work they perform. After all, the people are the ones doing that work. They should have a pretty clear idea about how to best perform their required tasks.
As the HBR article notes, conducting experiments will help organizations make informed, intelligent choices about how they structure their work environments. But it has to, in my professional opinion, start with engaging the workforce. Combining experiments with real employee input and transparent communication will help increase employee buy-in.
And while just a few months ago, the primary focus of open plan office shortcomings was lower productivity, the focus in the coming months will definitely be on employee health and safety, because people who work in open plan settings take more sick days.
After we emerge from COVID-19 restrictions into whatever the new reality is, people are going to have opinions about how they will want to work to ensure their safety and the safety of their circle of family and friends. And soon, people, like me, who were laid off because of COVID-19 will be re-entering the workforce. And we are going to want to know how prospective employers will be adapting.
Companies would do well to listen carefully.
For those who adapt well, it will be another selling point, similar to health benefits and paid volunteer time. Doing this correctly will require both commitment from leadership and an investment in time and money. Opening a dialog with your people - sooner rather than later - is a sensible place to start.