The pandemic taught us to work differently. It reduced our resistance to change and helped organisations realise their employees could work from home and still get the job done, making use of new and existing technology to continue to operate.
People adapted and became flexible in where and when they worked. Yet a recent report suggests we are ‘shifting back to pre-pandemic ways of working’ as people return to the office and workloads increase. To lose some of the benefits the pandemic brought to how we work seems short-sighted, so how can we resist reverting back to our old ways of working? Here are our top tips to help you sustain the positive changes in your working practices.
Identify what worked
Spend time reflecting on what’s working and what’s not. Think about how you worked pre-pandemic. What did you introduce and change to keep going during covid restrictions? What do you want to keep doing? You’re more likely to retain new ways of working if you recognise them and build them into your company policies and procedures. For example, if you held online meetings during lockdown, keep doing it. Using Zoom or Teams means everyone can attend, no matter where they are based. You’ll find you no longer hold meetings for meetings’ sake. It’s also cost-effective and saves time.
At Sorted, we host our weekly team ‘stand-up’ meeting on Teams as it’s simple to use. We all come prepared with our main priorities for the week ahead, which helps keep the meeting short and everyone engaged. We also use Teams when we meet with clients. Meetings can be recorded so we can be sure to go back and confirm any details. This is really useful if we’re discussing complex information with our clients.
Break the habit
It’s easy to go back to how things have always been done. How many of us have heard someone say “we’ve always done it like that”? This attitude can deter people from trying new ways of doing things. To avoid this, look at what these are and ask yourself if they still need to be done in the ‘old’ way. Perhaps the new procedures you introduced during covid restrictions are still beneficial. For example, can people still work remotely if they wish to or is everyone back in the office like before? Could hybrid working be the solution? Giving people a choice in where they work also makes them feel valued and thanks to shared mailboxes, instant messaging services and online task management services, you can stay connected and on top of tasks, both on-site and remotely.
We are a fully remote team at Sorted. We use monday.com, an online project management tool, to help us keep up to date with work. It means other team members can easily see the status of a project and add an update if they need to. We also use WhatsApp as a quick and convenient way of contacting each other with queries or questions.
Could you use an extra pair of hands?
Contact us now to discuss how our reliable, efficient, no-nonsense communications support can help you and your team.
Stay flexible…
Higher levels of flexible working arrangements are reported in the public sector compared to the private sector1, with CIPD research suggesting there is a stark difference in employers offering flexible working practices2. The amount of flexibility offered by many employers increased during the pandemic, but is this still the case? Can you still request flexible working?
As long as work is completed, there’s no harm in working fewer hours on one day and longer hours on the other and doing so can help people achieve a better work life balance. Sharing calendars is a useful way for colleagues to see what your day looks like and whether you’re free for a call.
… but set boundaries
However, be sure to guard your time so you don’t end up feeling like you’re on call 24/7. Log off and don’t check messages on your phone once you’ve finished for the day. Set boundaries in your calendar and make it clear when you are and are not available.
As we all manage our working time independently at Sorted, we keep our Outlook calendars up to date so our colleagues know when we’re available. We also tailor the notifications we receive from monday.com so we’re not overwhelmed with alerts.
Avoiding a return to old ways of working comes down to respect, communication and trust. By respecting your and your colleagues’ time, increasing communication between you all and trusting each other to get the job done, you will continue to move forwards in the post-pandemic world.
At Sorted, we’ve always been a fully remote business, operating flexibly to support our clients, so we’re fully aware of the challenges it can involve. You can read more of our advice and tips in some of our other blogs or, if you would like to chat with us about our experience, just get in touch.
Have you found this useful? Why not sign up to our newsletter for more guidance, hints & tips and communications insights? Join our newsletter today.
Let’s not go backwards; we’ve already been there
The pandemic taught us to work differently. It reduced our resistance to change and helped organisations realise their employees could work from home and still get the job done, making use of new and existing technology to continue to operate.
People adapted and became flexible in where and when they worked. Yet a recent report suggests we are ‘shifting back to pre-pandemic ways of working’ as people return to the office and workloads increase. To lose some of the benefits the pandemic brought to how we work seems short-sighted, so how can we resist reverting back to our old ways of working? Here are our top tips to help you sustain the positive changes in your working practices.
Identify what worked
At Sorted, we host our weekly team ‘stand-up’ meeting on Teams as it’s simple to use. We all come prepared with our main priorities for the week ahead, which helps keep the meeting short and everyone engaged. We also use Teams when we meet with clients. Meetings can be recorded so we can be sure to go back and confirm any details. This is really useful if we’re discussing complex information with our clients.
Break the habit
It’s easy to go back to how things have always been done. How many of us have heard someone say “we’ve always done it like that”? This attitude can deter people from trying new ways of doing things. To avoid this, look at what these are and ask yourself if they still need to be done in the ‘old’ way. Perhaps the new procedures you introduced during covid restrictions are still beneficial. For example, can people still work remotely if they wish to or is everyone back in the office like before? Could hybrid working be the solution? Giving people a choice in where they work also makes them feel valued and thanks to shared mailboxes, instant messaging services and online task management services, you can stay connected and on top of tasks, both on-site and remotely.
We are a fully remote team at Sorted. We use monday.com, an online project management tool, to help us keep up to date with work. It means other team members can easily see the status of a project and add an update if they need to. We also use WhatsApp as a quick and convenient way of contacting each other with queries or questions.
Could you use an extra pair of hands?
Contact us now to discuss how our reliable, efficient, no-nonsense communications support can help you and your team.
Stay flexible…
Higher levels of flexible working arrangements are reported in the public sector compared to the private sector1, with CIPD research suggesting there is a stark difference in employers offering flexible working practices2. The amount of flexibility offered by many employers increased during the pandemic, but is this still the case? Can you still request flexible working?
As long as work is completed, there’s no harm in working fewer hours on one day and longer hours on the other and doing so can help people achieve a better work life balance. Sharing calendars is a useful way for colleagues to see what your day looks like and whether you’re free for a call.
… but set boundaries
However, be sure to guard your time so you don’t end up feeling like you’re on call 24/7. Log off and don’t check messages on your phone once you’ve finished for the day. Set boundaries in your calendar and make it clear when you are and are not available.
As we all manage our working time independently at Sorted, we keep our Outlook calendars up to date so our colleagues know when we’re available. We also tailor the notifications we receive from monday.com so we’re not overwhelmed with alerts.
Avoiding a return to old ways of working comes down to respect, communication and trust. By respecting your and your colleagues’ time, increasing communication between you all and trusting each other to get the job done, you will continue to move forwards in the post-pandemic world.
At Sorted, we’ve always been a fully remote business, operating flexibly to support our clients, so we’re fully aware of the challenges it can involve. You can read more of our advice and tips in some of our other blogs or, if you would like to chat with us about our experience, just get in touch.
Have you found this useful? Why not sign up to our newsletter for more guidance, hints & tips and communications insights? Join our newsletter today.
1The impact of remote and hybrid working on workers and organisations | POST (parliament.uk)
2Trends in flexible working arrangements | CIPD