Can we still manage our employees, customers, and partners well in a remote & hybrid landscape?
Kevin Milne
“Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
August 2022.
As I write this, I am sitting in my flat in Perth and finding some time to write an article that concerns the landscape we sit in right now.
2020 & 2021 were an eye opener for all B2B and B2C businesses. B2B in particular focus here as this is where this particular story and analysis lies.
If I take my story for example.
2020 Feb - Working at a large logistics and freight forwarding company. Office-based, out on the road, meetings, reports, CRM, canteen chats, weekly team meetings around operations EBITDA & Forecast. There was no sign here of working at home. EVER. My boss wanted me ohe road in meetings, or in the office. That was that. I knew no different.
It made sense because I knew no different either. He wasn't hounding me at all or chasing me, he just said he likes to see me in the office, the team like to see us in the office, the vibe, the feel the walking passed the door and quickly asking that one question they have for you.... quickly.
2020 June - Left Aberdeen to move to Perth. The redundancy that hit hard. COVID in full effect. Left my community, network, pals, and mother behind. New start, new city, new opportunities.
BUT...... i had zero business support. Noone to check on me, no one to deliver for, no one to grab for 5 when I wanted to know something .... quickly. Can you hear the small violins playing in the background?
COMMUNITY.
I found SOCIAL & DIGITAL MEDIA. I was given the chance to add to my repitore of sales, customer service and outbound skills and I grabbed it with both hands. Content, Conversations & Community at the core.
The REMOTE & HYBRID landscape and the pandemic changed the way I saw my role, my process and what the other side of that engagement would look like and act like. Something was different for sure.
I NEEDED TO ADAPT TO CHANGE AND THE LANDSCAPE!
I am sitting in the camp of middle ground with this scenario. I like both. I like that I can head out to meetings when I want, I like that I can jump from the office to my flat, to the chamber, to another office, to a coffee shop, and get things done wherever I need to.
BUT....... I cannot rely on this working for everyone I talk to?
I cannot rely that this will work with the people I have conversations with on social media, on the phone or via email. I do not fully understand everyone else's challenges right here and right now. It doesn't matter how me, you, or anyone else acts or works.... that is YOU! It is the fact that we need to understand each and every business and objective in the employer and employee to enable them to work smarter... not harder in this new digital, remote and hybrid landscape.
THE OFFICE WILL ALWAYS EXIST. THE INTERFACE IS THE KEY.
? How we communicate is KEY.
? How we share information is KEY.
? How we speak to our customers is KEY.
?How we engage with our partners is KEY.
? How we make sure we are responsible is KEY.
? How we manage the wellbeing of all staff is KEY.
According to?data?from the Office of National Statistics, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, only around 5% of the UK workforce worked mainly from home. The pandemic, and government mandates for people to stay at home, increased this significantly. However, according to?CIPD research, before the pandemic, 65% of employers either did not offer regular working from home at all or offered it to 10% or less of their workforce. That 65% is expected to fall dramatically to 37%.
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A BIG SHIFT INDEED FOR BUSINESS IN THE UK.
They go on to say that planning for the future is key. There is no SILVER BULLET, each organisation will have a different take and perspective. All should be explored.
Some key steps should be:
? Define the hybrid landscape across function and role in clear context.
? Ongoing training & development for people managers to support.
? Asses and communicate hybrid outcomes and success factors.
? Planning & responding to technology and wellbeing challenges.
Essentially it boils down to looking after your team. Finding out what works on a regular basis, adapting to any changes, and enabling them with digital technology that works well in both the office and the hybrid and remote landscape. THIS SHOULD BE THE ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS.
I would always say to mix it up though. Get out of the house from time to time, go for a walk, go to the coffee shop or the chamber to get a different view of things, and go to the office when you can and want to interact and bounce off others who will be there.
Lets go back to the TECH bit.
This plays a huge part in the daily lives of B2B businesses across a host of different sectors and roles. Digital Enablement is the number one goal towards getting the most out of this new territory. Ease of connectivity, ability to switch off, a mix of kit and tools to work smarter, making sure that we are secure and able to conduct our roles in a safe manner. This should be the GOLD standard for all businesses wanting to strive towards more revenue, a happier workforce, and committed teams that know they can be trusted to deliver from outside of the office environment.
WELLBEING.
That speaks for itself. This for many years was the unknown. Let's not forget what the last 28 months have taught us. Let's not allow ourselves not to champion each other and remember that we all have a path walked and what that looks like may be different. Not to judge but to LISTEN. Always.
CUSTOMERS
This is the fundamental difference between your retain record and new business acquisition and the scenario of getting this part wrong and the business becoming invisible over time. DIGITAL & SOCIAL can assist you.
Establish Trust & Rapport. Write content that inspires and adds value. Create virtual events and speaker slots to showcase some insight in a specific piece. Customers have less time now also. They are looking for you and your team online and what they see can leave you looking like a partner of choice or they move towards the competition.
???? We have to remain competitive in this digital & social landscape.
???? We have to associate different levels of success against revenue.
???? We have to keep our customers and new opportunities entertained.
REMOTE WORK IS NOT GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON.
IT IS HERE. WE MUST EMBRACE IT AND KEEP ON TALKING.
Navigating the turbulent waters of defence, marine, and energy sectors with a hearty laugh and a bucket full of experiences! Freelance Technical and Managerial support to a variety of sectors!
2 年I think companies are starting to wake up to the fact that when you are working from home you are actually working and not cutting the lawn. And for customers theyre easier to reach!