Dina Gerdeman
30 MAR 2020
With more people working remotely right now, many of us have experienced a videoconference interrupted by barking dogs or hungry kids demanding snacks, punctuated, perhaps, by cabinet doors slamming and ice makers grinding in the background. We all understand, of course—we’re living it, too.
Welcome to the new world of remote work, pandemic style.
Before the coronavirus hit, 5.2 percent of US employees reported telecommuting most of the time, while 43 percent worked from home at least some of the time. Now, with the pandemic shuttering workplaces, that figure has skyrocketed globally.
But remote work during this bizarre time, with so many people scrambling to get their work done while sharing close quarters with shut-in kids, spouses, and pets, is certainly not business as usual, even for work-from home veterans. While some of the typical remote work rules apply, others don’t. Business leaders need a new game plan.
We asked Harvard Business School professors to provide practical advice for managing large-scale, long-term remote work at a time when many employees are not only distracted by the commotion in their homes, but are shaken by the crisis unfolding outside their doors.
Is this consistent with your organization’s managerial approach to remote work? Adjustments to expectations for work & meetings, a clearer focus on outcomes, and extra flexibility have been widespread. Has your leadership style included other dimensions, such as empathy for team members and allowing them to “blow off steam” in optional, virtual meetings, as Gerdeman suggests? Clearly the first recommendation – communicate clearly and decisively – is the easiest to pitch and the hardest to deliver, given the tidal uncertainties for individuals, teams, organizations, and even industries. -MW-
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