One of the most noteworthy characteristics of the modern workplace is ‘remote working’. Many organisations today allow employees to connect remotely or from their home, enabling flexibility, freedom and even a better quality of living and working.
Technology has made remote working much easier. Video calls, collaboration and communication apps are all common and make it possible for teams in different locations and time zones to come together.
For many professionals, this translates into not having to move from their city for the sake of a job, reduced commuting and less stress, and the ability to balance their lives and work better.
Many who handle multiple responsibilities at home and also want to continue to make significant contributions to work, see this as a precious advantage. Professionals who have to take care of children or aged parents find this a blessing as they can now fulfil their personal commitments, without leaving behind their careers.
Flip side
So, if all is well in the remote working world, can we assume that productivity and happiness levels are at an all-time high?
Along with the advantages remote working brings with it, there are a few hiccups, which both employers and employees grapple with. When there is no physical office you need to go to every day, it could deprive you of a sense of community. You are in the comfort of your home office, but you are alone. Conversations or decisions, which are easier face-to-face now need to be carried out virtually. If these parleys are complex and negative in nature, they become all the more awkward and difficult. The slightest misreading could lead to trouble.
For someone who leads a team, it could also be challenging to have everyone on board — since they are no longer present together in a single room. While virtual communication allows for flexibility, it doesn’t always make it easy for us to read or understand the finer nuances in a dialogue: body language, tone, and so on. An email or a text message cannot sound the same as a sentence spoken in person.
Connecting remotely also raises important questions on productivity. There may be a greater need to constantly stay online or quickly respond to emails, as you feel compelled to prove that you are, indeed, working. There may be a sense of insecurity creeping in as you wonder if others are wondering if you’re working. In teams where some members are remote and others not, this may lead to mistrust. In such situations, the role of the manager becomes critical as he/she has to ensure no ill-feeling creeps in and that a sense of collaboration and positivity prevails most of the time. There will need to be meetings where the teams meet physically and spend time bonding. They will need to get to know each other, trust each other and get used to each other’s working styles. Since the company trusts us to be productive, we are obliged to become productive without obsessing about it.
Change brings with it the good, the bad and the ugly. Remote working is certainly part of the good and it works to the employer’s and employee’s advantage, if applied correctly and with mutual trust and care.
The author is a poet and literary journalist. She also heads Corporate Communications at UST Global. Twitter: @anupamaraju
