A Remote Storm is Coming

Strategies on How to Prepare and Weather the Remote Work Storm

I live in Canada, so I have reluctantly come to terms with winter storms. Month after month of 30+ cm of snow or severe weather temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celcius is somewhat the norm now. But every time feels like the first time a severe weather warning comes around.

It made me think about how we get prepared for winter storms. Of course, to be winter-ready, you will have all the necessities like winter tires, snow boots, parkas and even a new skincare regime to battle the harsh elements of winter.

What happens when we are not prepared for winter? You get stuck in the freezing cold without proper clothing; you do not have the tools to dig your car out of the driveway, your skin dries out, and your nails crack at the first contact of dry winter air.

There is a huge contrast to surviving versus thriving in winter. It all depends on your preparedness. The same can be said about how prepared you are for the remote work storm upon us.

The pandemic sparked a mass exodus of people from their current jobs spread across the world. However, the core of the problem is much deeper than the virus. The pandemic provided a time for people to reflect on the quality of their lives. The result was that many realized how they would no longer sell their soul for money over work-life balance.

Why were some people fleeing their current jobs? Besides looking for meaningful work, remote work meant that people were always working, and the workday was consuming their lives.

An explanation for workplace burnout, stress, and overwhelm can be found in how digital wellness impacts the remote workplace. You can read more on this in my article where I share 3 Ways Tech is Causing Stress While You’re Working Online.

According to the Digital Wellness Institue, “Digital Wellness is the optimum health and well-being state that each individual using technology can achieve.” I started to question how this can be applied to those who work from home and remotely.

I started to imagine a world where people wake up inspired, productive and fulfilled every day as they work remotely.

Digital wellness matters to your people, and it matters to their productivity. As a result, there is a growing need for companies to foster digital wellness tools, skills, and techniques in the remote work era as part of their workplace wellness strategy.

Whether you have a remote team or a hybrid workplace, you must address the remote work storm and be prepared. (Click to Tweet That)

What does that mean?

We’re spending more time logged on — working alone together, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate we’re getting more done.

It’s tragic but not surprising.

A remote work storm is here!

Still, one true thing is that remote work will be a disruptive force. It will change everything about how we work, communicate, hire and promote. In addition, it will affect how we create an environment that puts everyone on an equal footing.

Success for the remote workplace will favour those who are PREPARED for the remote work storm. So, are you, your teams and your workplace hiding or are you prepared for the remote storm upon us?

Remote-Friendly Workplace

Workplaces that are not prepared for the remote work storm are what I call Remote Friendly workplaces. Most companies, workplaces, and teams are still unsure if they will be fully remote or simply remote-friendly.

Remote-friendly companies allow remote work; however, they have not implemented ways to optimize the virtual office and culture. This means plenty of growing pains in the remote work storm that create digital distress and demands in the workplace.

Stressors may include:

• Meetings and emails that are distractions to completing meaningful work,
• Limited time for deep work to complete work deliverables,
• Synchronous communication that isn’t prioritized,
• Lack of transparency in key decision-making processes, or
• In-office team members are given more rewards and recognition.

When these are the defaults, remote workplaces and teams have an “always-on culture.” Team members feel they have to be constantly online and available to respond. Unfortunately, this blurs the boundaries between work and life, a prevalent problem to remote workplace wellness and workplace culture.

Remote-First Workplace

Workplaces prepared for the remote work storm are what I call remote-first workplaces. Remote-first companies have decided to prioritize working remotely and have intentionally optimized for remote work.

Optimizations may include:

• Meetings and emails are reduced to avoid distractions
• Performance is measured according to deliverables
• Asynchronous communication is prioritized
• Decisions are made online and in real-time
• Team members are encouraged to work from home with perks and benefits

These two stages of remote work readiness will serve you well in preparing for remote work this year. Even hybrid workplaces will need to optimize how they work as a remote-first workplace.

But I want to leave you with one overarching suggestion:

Communication is the best cure for uncertainty about whether you should be a remote-friendly or remote-first workplace. That means workplace leaders, people and culture and wellness champions must be transparent about remote work plans. You don’t have to have all the answers, and you simply have to visibly start the process.

If you intend to weather the remote work storm- you will have done your best to prepare your workplace and team members.

-Chido Samantha Mbavarira

Welcome to Be Well Work Well. This bimonthly letter breaks down key digital wellness concepts and how to apply them to the way we live well and work well in the remote work era. https://www.chidosamantha.com/be-well-work-well