How offices can prepare for the next normal
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, no sector has been as central to the nation’s response as our healthcare industry. At the beginning of the crisis, for example, staff at The Ottawa Hospital were forced to think creatively to ensure their important work continued safely.
They did this by leveraging Microsoft Teams to create a digital open office space enabling collaboration through secure chat, video calls, and filesharing among staff working from home and across the multi- site hospital. This rapid workplace transformation has allowed The Ottawa Hospital’s team of clinicians and staff to continue the close cooperation needed in a health emergency, even while maintaining physical distance.
It is a challenge faced by offices across the country. As Canadians confront the challenge of responsibly “reopening the economy” in the midst of a pandemic, many governments and business leaders are aiming to do more than simply restore the status quo that existed in workplaces prior to COVID-19. Organizations from all industries have been forced to reimagine workflows, office culture, internal communications, and knowledge sharing practices.
For Jordan Sheridan, lead of Microsoft Canada’s Modern Workplace team that helped The Ottawa Hospital quickly pivot, the big question workplaces need to be asking isn’t ‘ what now?’, but ‘what next?’
“At the onset of COVID-19, many organizations went from everyone working in the office to everyone working from home,” says Sheridan. “Workplaces scrambled to find the tools they needed to keep remote workers as engaged and productive as they were in the office. As we look for- ward, though, we need to ask what it will look like when there is a split – potentially long term – between office workers and those working remotely.”
According to Sheridan, the answer is a ‘ hybrid model’ in which workplaces offer the same productive, positive and equitable work culture to employees, regardless of where and how they prefer to work.
For many Canadians, the last few months was their first experience working remotely, balancing work and life responsibilities. After months of enjoying increased flexibility and productivity, many won’t be satisfied with a return to status quo.
Whether employees prefer coming into the office or working remotely – almost all now have a stronger understanding of exactly how, when and where they like to get work done.
The challenges of remote work were more nuanced than simple loss of productivity; a fact that surprised many workplaces, says Sheridan.
“We don’t hear a lot about loss of productivity,” he explains. “The tools we have in place are allowing remote workers to perform well. What we are hearing are concerns about maintaining work life balance. How do you create boundaries between work and life when people are working remotely? Even the commute into the office, as a defined delineation between work and home was something we took for granted.”
As the transition to more hybrid workplaces continues, employers will need to ensure that all workers have access to the collaboration technologies they need to stay productive and engaged, no matter where they choose to work from.
But beyond technology, businesses will need to rethink cultural norms to ensure everyone feels included and supported regardless of where they’re working. Even Microsoft, which has encouraged a flex work culture for years, is rethinking its approach to activities like people management and strategic planning.
“We’ve seen many workplaces try to create a separation between work and life by creating events that punctuate the day,” says Sheridan. “On my team we have a daily morning coffee where we don’t talk about work. It’s not something that we did in the past because it’s a national team, but during these times, it keeps everyone engaged and creates a separation between work and the rest of the day”
The transition to digital- first, remote workplaces has been a major challenge for workers and businesses, and new difficulties will no doubt arise as the pandemic continues to reshape our society and economy. But Canadians have already stepped up to apply their resilience, creativity and ingenuity to transform how their organizations operate for the better. The most trying times often produce the most important innovations and spur new forms of co-operation. As we have seen over the past few months, this process of renewal has already begun.