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Five Key Learnings From Working Remotely

Forbes Nonprofit Council

President & CEO of the Flinn Foundation, a private foundation working to improving the quality of life in Arizona. 

As our community emerges from the global pandemic, it seems that everyone is thinking about their return to work. What will office schedules look like, and what role will flexible work play? Will virtual meetings still play a part? Do we really need all of the office space that we occupied previously? How might we take what we've learned by working remotely to shape a new vision for our work?

My office is no different. I've read countless articles on the subject and directed staff to do the same. We're watching webinars, sifting through information about new technologies, and trying to define what "hybrid" meetings are and what a flexible future of work might look like. Honestly, it's a bit daunting but there is comfort in knowing that so many others are struggling with the same thing.

In order to put forward our idea of what the future work will look like, we've found it useful to first be introspective. We've spent time thinking deeply about what has worked well for our team while we have been working remotely and what has not. While what follows is unique to our organization, this advice will likely be highly relevant to other leaders contemplating and crafting their hybrid approach to work.

1. Be agile enough to pivot and adapt quickly to change.

At my organization, the Flinn Foundation, we have a creative, flexible and professional staff who can pivot and adapt quickly to change. While disruption can be uncomfortable, that’s not a reason to avoid it. We should be engaged with our work and our colleagues whether in-person or virtual, and be hyper-focused on the tasks necessary to accomplish our mission. With the flexibility to be in the office or not, team members can be more focused on these necessary tasks. Deadlines and expectations of work product delivery can be better predicted and articulated in advance. At my organization, the shared benefit between the employees is that we have a general willingness to work harder and to be available during off-hours depending on the project. In the absence of everyday togetherness, we've formed more intentional connections with each other.

2. Remote work provides the opportunity for a better balance of work/life.

As NPO leaders, we should recognize and understand that remote work offers employees the flexibility to live their lives. We are able to eat better, find more time for exercise and care for our families. We can save money and time by eliminating our commutes, while also putting fewer emissions into the environment.

3. Productivity is mostly location-independent, but not always, and it certainly isn’t circumstance-independent.

Working remotely is effective for certain employees, but understand that it is not effective for everyone. Some staff have job descriptions that may not allow for remote work. Others have personal circumstances that may influence their work location. This applies to the practicalities of remote work, as well as to things like training and supervision. Under supervisory assessment, it may not be the most appropriate (depending on the type of work) or productive (depending on how effectively they produce) work environment for them. Non-dedicated workspace with distractions at home can greatly influence productivity. Not all staff have adequate personal computers or ideal environments for remote work. We may be called to provide some staff in the workplace more resources than others. We have to be mindful that newer staff members may need more time in the office for training, process and to get a sense of being part of the larger team.

4. In a culture where we are striving to be more inclusive, we have different attitudes and preferences about the way we do our work.

The social aspect of a workplace is important to some and not to others. Zoom fatigue can be tough on many. Isolation may also be an issue, requiring team leads and colleagues to be more vigilant to pick up on this. As leaders, it's part of our role to understand the nuances, attitudes and preferences of our teams, and ensure they are able to work in an environment or manner that best suits them.

5. Collaboration tools keep us connected and on task with projects.

By using tech and tools like Zoom, Slack and Trello, we can stay in more regular contact with co-workers and might even find that we are closer online than in person. At my organization, we have learned a lot about each other in weekly staff meetings with icebreakers, lightning talks and in showing our workspaces and pets. These meetings and events are more inclusive as virtual meetings bring out participation in those who are less talkative in person. A virtual work environment can also expand our ability to work more easily with people outside of the local area and outside of the state. We can save time and money by hosting virtual meetings/events (including significant cost savings on space rental and catering), with a wider audience reach and less physical staff preparation time. In the same manner, it gives staff greater access to more events and meetings.

I realize that every workplace is unique and that these learnings won't necessarily translate to every other NPO, but having done this collaborative exercise, I do believe that taking an inventory of what has worked and what has not is a valuable exercise and a great place to begin.


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