The workplace 2020 — the year that never was
By: Dieter Wood
Tags: Culture, 2020, Covid 19, Office, Workplace

Do you sometimes wish you could wipe your memory, like Joel and his girlfriend, Clementine, the main characters from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?

It feels like 2020 is a year that many of us would like to erase from our minds. However, to do so I believe would be to miss the opportunity our experience has created.

Businesses have had extremely challenging times this past year. We’ve had to fight to keep things on track. It’s been tough on leaders and also employees, with furloughing, adapting to new ways of working, redundancies and the guilt of those who remain employed when many of their colleagues have lost their jobs.

More than any other year, 2020 has demanded we think differently about our workplaces. We’ve had to consider the type of culture we want to create. How to encourage collaboration between people — whether they’re based at home or in the office, and we’ve had to think deeply about the role of the office in the future, which I’ll cover in a separate blog early next year.

This year has taught us many things. So, we’re taking the opportunity to do a light review of five key lessons we’ve learnt during this unusual time.

#1. Not everyone’s home environment is equal

While we might want to create equality in our office environment, we’ve seen that at home some people are more equal than others. Senior execs and leadership teams might indeed have a more comfortable home working environment. They might have the room for a separate office, giving them the space to think and concentrate. They might not need the office to form friendships, get additional experience, or to connect people in different departments and teams.

Other employees might be single and living on their own. Or they could be living in a shared house with multiple people working from home. They might have moved to a new city where they don’t know anyone. Or they could have young families which makes it difficult to do concentrated work at home.

2020 has shown us people rarely want to work 100% at home or in the office. There is usually an aspiration that a blend of both is best. This means office workers still see value in having an office. And it’s more than just physical space. An office makes the culture of the business robust and sustainable.

#2. Productivity at home is not constant

When looking back over this past year, one of the main questions we’re often asked is whether people are productive when working at home. In the early days of the pandemic, people reported being productive. They were worried about their jobs and it was a novelty for many. Everyone had to just got on with it.

As we approach the end of the year, there is a more realistic view. It can be difficult to motivate and inspire people at a distance. People are missing the creativity and collaboration that comes from being together.

This has led to many businesses making the decision to increase the quality of the office in 2021. We know that working from home for part of the week is likely here to stay. People have realised the benefits to their work life balance and will look to protect the benefits they have come to appreciate. From a business perspective, leaders need to make decisions that are right for the business, while accommodating the needs of individuals. This can be a tough balancing act.

#3. It’s not about surviving but thriving

2020 has been a year of survival. A lot of businesses we’ve spoken to have had tough times and they’ve had to make difficult decisions, usually very quickly. People have had to change and adapt, embracing new technology and ways of working.

But many businesses thrived. They considered how to turn the situations to their advantage. They took the time to pause and think about what the future might look like and how to carve this out.

If businesses aren’t changing the way they do things, they’ll have a tougher time in 2021. These changes might be the physical iteration of where they work, or it could be changing how they market their business or develop the business.

#4. A quality environment attracts talent

While recruitment might have slowed down this past year, when we come out of this pandemic, the battle for the right talent will begin again. And you have to use everything in your armoury to make sure you have the best people working for you.

Employees will be considering why they should join your organisation. What they get from the workplace, and the culture you have, is often a defining reason behind their choice of employer. And we know that fantastic workplace helps attract the best talent.

#5. We need to boost employee happiness and innovation

How we boost employee happiness and innovation is a real consideration. As we near the end of the year we know that everyone is fed up with the online employee quizzes and the Zumba classes.

Moving into 2021, we have to think in more detail and depth. We need to consider individual circumstances. What is the job our people are doing? Where do they sit in the new structure of the business? How do they add value to community and culture?

We must consider what their circumstances are when working from home. It’s essential to know how people who live by themselves are coping. For some people it’s been really, really tough.

Now is the time for the leaders to come into their own. This isn’t just about managing workload; they’re also going to have to support mental health and wellbeing.

I would recommend that any business who hasn’t trained their people in mental health, do so as quickly as possible. Their people need to know the signs and what to look out for. This is very difficult to do when you’re not in the office and physically seeing people.

Preparing for 2021

In my next article, I’ll be looking at what businesses are considering for the year ahead, and the important but changing role of the office in 2021.

Sign up to our 2021 newsletter to hear more.

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