Are traditional ways of working “dead”???

The pandemic has changed a lot of things for many of us. It came and swept everything up like a whirlwind and what’s left behind seems to be a totally new way of working. But will we ever go back?

There are many things that could have been considered to be outdated about the way we were working before the pandemic, but others may feel differently. I wanted to take a look at some of these things and share my take on them!

1. How you dress for work. This one is really interesting to me, as someone who has had to wear many different outfits in my working life. From flip flops and beach dresses at Hollister, to high heels and glam at Armani and Micheal Kors, and even brown suit trousers and an awful royal blue shirt with a lanyard covered in “pins” at Disney World. I welcomed the “work-from-home-wear” and still appreciate it now.?I am more comfortable in a pair of gym leggings and a baggy jumper than I am in a pair of tights, heels and a dress. That’s not to say that I don’t love dressing myself up, but not to sit on the sofa and do zoom calls… I think that what people wear should be about how it makes THEM feel, and not about how others “expect” them to show up. In today’s world, surely we can appreciate that people’s skills and the value they could add to your business, goes far beyond what they’re wearing to work. Now, don’t get me wrong, there may still be certain situations where gym leggings and a baggy jumper are not appropriate for work, but I am still glad to see that people are being more relaxed and accepting when it comes to what people wear on a zoom call or even a face fo face meeting. (I may do another post fully dedicated to this topic at some point).
2. ?Online vs In Person working. This is a big one. It’s one that I am SO glad we were forced into when the pandemic hit. I plan to travel the world next year and I will still be working. I’ll be on zoom from Canada, the US, South America, Asia and Africa. I had feared (pre-pandemic) that people would feel worried or uncomfortable with me working remotely, but now, I really don’t think they would. We have all seen that work can be done from our laptops at home, or remotely, and I truly believe it’s the future! As a business owner, remote working saves you so much time, no more travelling to and from meetings in the car, wasting fuel and getting angry at the traffic. My days have become the most productive they have ever been in the past year, and it’s all down to remote working! I appreciate that some companies may want a hybrid situation, where teams can work flexibly and work in the office part time and at home the rest, and I think that’s awesome too! For the majority of desk based roles, people don’t need to be physically sat IN the office to do their jobs well. Allowing flexibility is a brilliant way to show your teams you trust them and also give them some control over how/where they work. Overall, I think remote working has been an excellent thing for us all. Without it, where would we be now?
3. Working hours. Could the typical 9-5 be no more? It seems that working from home has had its benefits and drawbacks. People have been forced to work different hours to manage work and family life, and in some cases, that’s great, in others, maybe not so much. I’ve heard some people say that working from home has meant they have worked more hours, because they find it hard to switch off and differentiate between work and home life. In other cases I’ve heard people say it’s been great, as they’ve started work earlier, due to the lack of commute, and finished earlier or worked around other errands/activities in their day. I personally feel that allowing flexibility, whether that’s for yourself as a business owner, or for your teams, is hugely important. Similarly to the remote working argument above, flexible hours make your teams lives much easier and show them that there is trust in the relationship. Ultimately, as long as they get the job done well, and on time, does it really matter if they did it between 9am - 5pm? The same goes for you as a business owner, find the hours that work best for you. Glorifying burnout is not cool, let’s glorify working fewer hours and getting better results - let’s glorify productivity!

Overall, I think the pandemic has had some silver linings, despite obviously being hugely difficult for many people. The silver linings, as I’m sure you’ll agree, are the ways in which it has helped us to see things differently. Most people I speak to have seen some benefits to their lives that have come from at least one of the above.?

What do you think? Is traditional working dead or will we keep some aspects of it and move forward with a less fixed, and more open mindset towards how we work??