Pandemic lessons that need to be applied now

Peter du ToitI'm the founder of FutureWork IQ where I spend my time assisting businesses to design digital workplaces or “offices in the cloud.” These environments enable companies to allow flexible and remote working for their teams. I also teach the digital literacy, fluency, communication and collaboration skills needed to work in these modern technology-rich workplaces.

Those traditional in-office companies, who early in the pandemic, invested in improving team digital literacy, including how to communicate effectively using digital tools, found their sudden forced remote working easier to deal with.

Now that the pandemic has receded, these same companies are reinventing the way they work for the long-term, many becoming location independent and providing their people with the location flexibility that most crave. They will continue to flourish.

Those that didn’t do this work, experienced a lot of pain and frustration. They have been the first to get “everyone back to the office” because “it really is just easier.” Forcing their people back into soul destroying commutes and no flexibility.

These companies are going to experience more disruption in the near future as anywhere working is again required to prevent commute emissions.

Which group are you in?