The generalization of teleworking since the periods of confinement has led companies to review their methods of communication. Learn how remote working can help break down silos.
For a large number of working people, lockdown has required an in-depth review of their working methods and personal organization. For some, the “height of the ladder” to adapt is dizzying, as it involves changes in the formal and informal practices of their Day-to-Day Job.
Not all organizations are equal in the face of lockdown. Employees used to working from home, or remote work, “only had to” generalize an already established practice, the others had to train themselves in new tools, have equipment delivered urgently to their teams' homes, not to mention the overhaul of the social and managerial link that is essential within the teams.
From now on, we no longer end up at the coffee machine. And it is often around the coffee machine that the heart of a company beats.
These difficulties were imposed on us and the first two weeks of lockdown were painful. Fifteen days after this big jump, it's time to look more ahead and less in the rearview mirror. What positive could these imposed changes bring to our businesses?
During a period of confinement, no more questions out of the blue by raising your head from the screen to Sophie/Paul/Jess or Michel: “Coffee?” Same treatment for the manager who hangs out in the meeting room: “are we still talking about it at 2 pm?”
Social ties have not stopped with COVID-19. Occasions are easily created via GoogleHangout, Zoom, and why not Houseparty, for formal topics (1o1 collaborator/manager, project point,...) and/or informal (breakfast or team lunch, celebration of a personal or professional birthday, etc.).
What was only possible in person, for many employees who are not used to working remotely, is considerably simplified with the experience acquired during this crisis.
If only we had always applied it! Informal oral communication, the one through which we communicate more than 80% of the information, is no longer possible in a situation of confinement. Teleworking imposes a new rigor in individual communication, which is a healthy counterpoint to the greater autonomy acquired by everyone, in fact, through physical distance from colleagues and managers.
It is essential to be able to give visibility to your teams, colleagues or managers, on your activity schedule. In an unprecedented professional situation, which could see some people get entangled in a hazardous personal organization, this practice empowers everyone and allows exchanges around individual and team priorities.
If this practice could survive the COVID-19 crisis, it would be the jackpot!
Is it French culture that still points too much the finger at failure (even if it is Less and less true), is it a form of misplaced pride? For a long time, in France, asking for help was seen as an admission of weakness.
While effective teleworking requires communicating about goals or personal progress, it can reveal whether an employee is ahead or late on a project.
Mutual assistance must be required in a company! The current situation could strengthen team spirit and solidarity, with employees showing greater empathy towards their peers. Confined in a small-sized apartment, confined to teleworking with their children to occupy or confined with their in-laws, everyone's situation, more or less critical, is generally known to everyone within a team. Imposed teleworking could have 3 positive consequences in professional behavior: more transparency in individual goals and progress, strengthened solidarity and therefore a more benevolent climate in which seeking or offering help will be more spontaneous/accepted.
Creating formal and informal rituals makes it possible to overcome the loneliness of the teleworker during a period of confinement. But there is one type of content that should not be forgotten to exchange on this occasion: the successes/good news of the company. If teleworking is possible in the company, it is then that the heart of the company continues to beat (some will not be so lucky) and therefore good and less good news will be expected. While good news about a team is generally disseminated within the team, the tightness of silos sometimes prevents it from being disseminated on a larger scale in the organization. The need for transparency in corporate communication at this time is an opportunity to change practices, both to celebrate victories and to share less positive information.
Although the heart of the company continues to beat, daily life continues to be demanding but this period of confinement and the remote work that it imposes are changing our relationship with time. In two weeks, the priorities set since the end of 2019 were swept aside for others in order to ensure the survival of the company or solidarity with healthcare teams, for example. This strange moment, as if suspended in time, is also an opportunity to gain perspective on the daily life of our “normal” professional situation. This period of intense and permanent reprioritization can become an opportunity to work on substantive projects, which make sense, in order to return to the normal period and the long-awaited resumption of activity at the end of the lockdown period. In order to save time and be more effective in the future, you can formalize your personal or team “best practices” on subjects that you consider to be high-stakes, time-consuming, etc.
To get started, for example, create a channel on Slack on this subject to identify the topics to be formalized and potential contributors.
In this complicated period for companies as well as for employees who must change the paradigm, Komin is offering its time to the people and entities who will decide to engage in this process of formalizing content. Our favorite topics on which we can offer you our time: tele-onboarding (remote onboarding), continuing education andoffboarding your employees. Our role will be that of a coach providing the tools, and of a sparring partner who will help you prioritize topics.
We are at your disposal and hope to help you!
Courage & let's help each other during this time, stay safe & stay home
“With Komin, we documented our operating procedures 10x faster than with paper”
- J. Cerruti (Methods & Industrialization Manager)
