What Do We Do Now?
/What happens now?
Facilities, operations teams, organizations, all are asking the same question.
Changing your way of life was quick. It was urgent. It was immediate. And, it wasn’t optional. So many across our country, across our world were faced with immediate decisions about day-to-day operations. And now as we being to transition back to what once was normal, the question becomes- now what?
How do organizations deal with what they left? How do teams reassess how they work together? How do we go back to a normal that, well, doesn’t feel so normal anymore? How do we capitalize on those immediate decisions we had to make? How do we take advantage of all that we’ve learned during this time.
A new normal is here. It is urgent to be ready for it.
Continuing Remote Work- Considering your People
For many, focus has been on returning to the workplace as soon as possible. But expectations are that remote work will now play a large part in the functioning and operations of many teams. For a number of teams, remote work has proven to be a viable, and effective, option.
But maintaining and enhancing these remote opportunities shouldn’t mean a decreased investment in employee retention, engagement, and overall well-being. Instead, organizations must establish new, innovative ways to engage employees, foster a team environment, and take care of needs for effective working environments.
Investment
As your organization begins to address remote work’s long-term role, remember to invest in this type of work just as you would on-site work. Laptop stands, webcams, as well as microphones are a few examples of priorities you may have for supporting employees’ at-home spaces. At SSM, we recently invested in new laptops and correlating monitors to make working both at home and in the office an even more fluid practice.
Engagement
Being out of the office doesn’t take away the value of employee engagement and collaboration. Continue with regular meetings as you would in person. Encourage “keep in touch” conversations, and find new ways to engage your people. Employee engagement shouldn’t stop when everyone’s away and it shouldn’t disappear if only some continue to work remotely. Some things we’ve done at SSM are at-home challenges- like “Let’s see your furry work friends”, virtual competitions like "crossword puzzles and bingo, daily updates to keep communication flowing, and team and company meetings to keep interaction at a high.
Remember- employee happiness plays a vital role in company productivity. Prioritize the things you do for your people and they’ll prioritize the things they do for your organization.
The Workplace- Considering the Return
As you continue to navigate work from home practices, and approach conversations about returning to the workplace, here are a number of considerations to think about before bringing people and operations back to your facility. Changing work conditions are a real priority in establishing what will be your organization’s “new normal.”
How will work, work? After being forced to uproot what was your organization’s day-to-day operations, in returning t’s imperative to reassess the way in which work will now occur. Encourage your Human Resources and Operations departments to collaborate on a plan of action for the next few phases of moving forward. These conversations should include maintaining and enhancing virtual work opportunities, establishing phasing-in plans, communicating policies and decisions, and addressing the things you wish you would have had in place before all of this occurred.
How will your people come to work? Consider staggering work times, days at the workplace, and even lunch or other scheduled breaks. All of these can help to reduce the number of employees in your facility at one given time. We recommend considering occupancy sensors to better control your lights, temperature, and ventilation systems in accordance with your new working arrangements.
How will things be at work? Creating an environment that is social distance friendly is of high priority for your space. From individual offices to large common places, you should begin to develop a plan for how your environment will meet guidelines and recommendations. Ensure that all areas of your space provide an effective opportunity for people to socially distance themselves. You will also want to consider establishing new practices and initiatives that encourage healthy practices. For example, clean desk policies might enable your cleaning crew to better and more efficiently sanitize desk spaces.
Returning- Considering your Building
There’s a lot to remember before bringing every one and every thing back- employee safety, building condition, CDC and local guidelines are all priorities.
We’ve put together a comprehensive guide to make sure your facility is ready for your return. You can download it at the bottom of this page, just click the big teal box.
But, we want to do more than just that. We’re always here to help, and we’ve made ourselves available and ready to be a resource during this time. From your facility to digital assets, and just about everything in between- we’d be happy to talk. Give us a call, ask us your questions. Your job is to stick to what you’re good at. Let us help you do that.
