A boost in remote working.
Employees have already started to realise the benefits of remote working. For example, people have less tolerance for unnecessary travel and commuting. With the average UK commute being around 58 minutes, and Londoners commuting on average for 1 hour and 20 minutes, travel absorbs too much time. It’s also expensive, bad for your health and bad for the environment.
As workers begin to make home-working their preference, crowded office spaces will become a thing of the past. Also, as society becomes more environmentally friendly and health-conscious, there is no longer a need for everybody to be in the same building at the same time.
Shifting your focus.
As leaders make the transition to remote working, managing teams has become more challenging. Leaders are forced to focus on productivity, whilst ensuring their teams wellbeing and mental health is robust enough to deliver their deadlines.
According to Mind, two thirds (65%) of adults and three quarters (75%) of young people with previous experience of mental health problems said their mental health has got worse during lockdown. Over half of adults (51%) and young people (55%) without experience of mental health problems also said their mental health has got worse during this period. (Source: Mind)
Overall, organisations are having to do more to support their employees, such as introducing mental health support or becoming more flexible when it comes to mental wellbeing.
Changing the way we work.
The pandemic has forced businesses to find new ways of servicing customers. From hand sanitisers at the door to social distancing signage, we have already done our bit to make our services safe and reliable for our customers.
Society is choosing to shop with brands that align with their values i.e. brands that have made significant contributions towards the pandemic, have reduced their environmental footprint and support social change, have elevated their status and value in society.
Movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have raised awareness on diversity in the workplace and businesses are starting to focus more on equality.
Increasing awareness throughout your organisation and doing your bit to support relevant causes will demonstrate your commitment supporting you employees’ values.
What's next?
The pandemic has given leaders a new perspective, allowing time to pause and reflect on what’s essential and what’s not.
In the last year, leaders have become more resilient, adaptable, and innovative. The ability to ‘future-proof’ businesses has risen, enabling leaders to prepare for unforeseen circumstances, prioritise needs better and remove processes that are not completely essential.
So, what else can you do to lead in the new normal?
