Remote work: Stuck in 1st Gear

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.

There is no question that remote working capabilities unlocks massive opportunities for businesses.

However, to realize these benefits requires that leadership teams get their businesses out of remote work 1st gear.

Staying in 1st gear (ie being able to work remotely for a few months) is not where the magic lies and can truly strain the workplace to a breaking point (as it would a motor vehicle)

Many businesses are in 1st gear, realizing the following:

☁️ Anywhere “offices in the cloud”
🏡 Many jobs can be done from anywhere
📹 Virtual meetings
📈 Productivity away from an office

But to get into top gear and get to real cruising speeds they must solve the following challenges

👩‍💻 Effective communication & collaboration
☹️ Feelings of isolation
🧠 Remote brainstorming
📡 Asynchronous working

How far are from getting into 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th remote work gear are you?