Over a third of the world’s population has been instructed to stay at home in the biggest global shutdown ever, in order to contain the Covid-19 virus. Millions of people have had their lives turned upside down, lost their jobs or gotten sick.
Millions of others have had to learn how to work at home, and managers are struggling to adapt.
How can managers take a leading role in maximising their workers efficiency whilst remaining productive, and humane? What out-dated modes of working and the belief systems that underpin them need to be “archived” indefinitely?
OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE SHUT-DOWN
- WAYS OF WORKING
Managers now have the opportunity to judge the productivity of their workers by the quality and result of their work, rather than sticking to the old-fashioned model of hours worked.
This model, which is a hangover from the industrial era, is really based on a low average of
X number of hours = Y (predictable) results
However during lockdown, working from 9 to 5 is no longer going to be a “supervised” activity. Although, of course, managers can track worker’s logged in hours using Apps like TOGGL
But, ultimately they will have to trust their employees to complete their tasks, during their working day, if they are working from home.
However, intellectual workers, problem solvers, creatives, designers and many others gain skills as they gain experience.
A more experienced, multi-skilled worker will take less time to complete a task, for example, to organize a team’s schedule, set up meetings, clarify agendas etc. than someone who is just beginning their working life.
Should they receive the same rate of pay, even though they take perhaps half the time to do it, or should they be paid per outcome/ per result?
Many of you will argue that more experienced workers generally receive a higher rate of pay, as they are older. This is not necessarily true.
Outcome related pay is a norm for some professions.
For example, if you ask someone to fix a new boiler in your house, you pay for the outcome. You don’t necessarily care how long it will take, and when the installers say 2–3 days you can accept that, it will depend on the individual characteristics of your house and your previous system.
This is more difficult to assess when you want a new marketing brochure, or content calendar created, OR is it?
OLD FASHIONED IDEAS ABOUT PRODUCTIVITY
Management at all levels often have trust issues, with their employees. Many do not believe that their employees will complete their tasks, if left unsupervised or work from home. This has now got to change.
As recently as a couple of years ago, when I suggested an office director may want to work from home one day, because of his extensive commuting times that week, he reacted as if he had been insulted. It was as if I had suggested something indecent!
Older generations especially have found the idea of letting workers work unsupervised difficult to accept.
One positive outcome of this awful current situation is this forced change in working practices across all sectors.
Even supermarkets and food retailers have had to accept that the current situation means that more staff must be allocated to online orders and deliveries. (However it did take a few weeks for that penny to drop for some retailers). Response times from food suppliers and manufacturers have been painfully slow, understandably perhaps due to the shock of the extent of the Covid-19 spread.
The world has changed, and the awareness of how we can live our lives more than ever, online, will not be something easily forgotten.
This change in working processes alongside the social infrastructure changes that have happened in developed nations will result in a very different world, once we awake from this nightmare.
2. INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
As many larger companies are keeping staff on at reduced pay, this is an opportunity to review company structures and working practices and also invest time and energy in more long-term development projects.
Research and development for most products and services can continue, without the constant pressure of delivery
Given the drop in worldwide pollution since the Pandemic Shutdown all over the world, this could also be an opportunity for your company to develop a “zero impact” policy.
- You are already cutting your carbon footprint my staying at home, how can you reduce it further? ( 3 Things You Can Do Now)
- How can your period under shutdown benefit future generations, through the choices you make right now?
- What can you change or switch to reduce your company’s carbon footprint?
3. Digital Marketing
As companies search for digital alternatives to how they sell their products and services, as well as how they can best serve their customer’s needs and stay afloat during this current crisis, how are you going to change your marketing?
Will you rely more on social media and digital marketing and digital advertising?
If you do not have the right expertise will you
- Take a course?
- hire the right expert help
- Will you offer different services or products that can be purchased online?
- What skills do you need to develop to manage in the digital world, and how can you lead your organization or business in this coming period?
It is easy to place blame on government leaders and CEO’s for what is happening as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. It is always easy to place blame.
However, as the heroic acts of many healthcare workers, a medical staff have shown us, leadership doesn’t always come from above.
In a year’s time, you may look back to this point, and say, I wish I had …… Or, if you act intentionally and remain open-minded to new possibilities today, you may well be able to say:
“I did the absolute best that I could, for myself, my friends and family and my co-workers!
FOR MORE TIPS ON HOME WORKING AND TIPS ON HOW TO STAY SANE DURING THE PANDEMIC VISIT my Pinterest Boards.
