I'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.

As leadership teams consider their post-pandemic workplace strategies you hear sentiments like this:

“Our plan to bring everyone back to the office is in no way a reflection of our employees not being able to work well in that way. We just think that it was effective in the short term, but for the long-term success of the company, we know we’re better together when we’re in the office collaborating and communicating and establishing those relationships.

“Instead of feeling like you’re a one-person sort of team … when you’re in the office you can see and feel the teamwork. You get that collaboration. There’s a lot of learning that happens just by overhearing conversations and these impromptu connections that we have.”— Ryan Albert, Bangor Savings Bank

The feeling is that you can only be effective with the following if you are in-person in a physical office:

  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Relationship building
  • Feeling like a team
  • Learning from colleagues
  • Impromptu connections

This is absolutely not true of course, as has been conclusively proven by highly successful teams that have been office-less for decades.

If the above can’t be done from anywhere it’s a sure sign of a badly designed digital workplace and a lack of digital literacy and fluency to work in it. The know how and best practices have long been established. All that is required is to learn what these are and then assimilate these into your workplace.