E59: Remote Work Works! (Or Does It?)

THE POWER OF REINVENTION with Kathi Sharpe-Ross

The pandemic has definitely forced us to rethink the future of work as most companies are now faced with a conundrum of whether they should go back to the workplace, or maybe follow a hybrid model. A number of studies show that remote work works. But is it the best thing long-term?

In this episode, James Orsini, President of The Sasha Group, Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient, and Chris Detert, the Chief Communications Officer at Influential share their thoughts on the future of work.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

• Why remote work works
• Creating flexibility for everyone
• Implications of working from home
• The concept of predictive flexibility
• Ways to connect without having a physical office
• The democratization of the workspace and the hierarchy
• What’s missing in the Zoom world

Episode Highlights:

[04:36] What the Numbers Show

Here are some facts: 55% of businesses globally are offering some capacity for remote work. 18% of the workforce telecommutes on a full-time basis and 77% of telecommuters report being more productive.

A Stanford study of 16,000 workers over nine months found that working from home increases productivity by 13%. The same study also reported that work satisfaction and attrition rates were cut by 50%.

There are a lot of positive reasons to support remote work. However, especially as a small business owner, one of the most significant benefits of being in the office is the sense of community, connection, and engagement. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that when people spent more time interacting with others – talking, socializing, and connecting – they displayed improved mental function.

[07:54] The Element of Flexibility

The “return to office” is a complicated conversation, as Shelley puts it. Rather, the conversation should be around how we should be creating flexibility for everyone. It means setting up a life stage accommodation, where we create the “me” versus “we.” When it's "we" time, it’s more of team-building and social interaction. While during the "me" time, you don't need to be in an office just to sit there and show everyone that you're there.

Work from home gives freedom and flexibility. But the real trick is how to create flexibility for all so that no one is left out.

[23:34] The Democratization of The Workspace and The Hierarchy

When you look at a Zoom meeting, everybody is in the same-sized box. And so, nobody realizes who’s more important or whether they’re higher level than you, because everybody is the same. Ideas are coming from every angle and all ideas are similar in value. Hence, the hierarchical structure has been removed.

Links to Resources:

VaynerX

The Female Quotient

Influential

www.SharpeAlliance.com

www.TheReinventionExchange.com

RE:INVENT YOUR LIFE! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Available on Amazon Books and Apple Books

THE POWER OF REINVENTION Podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Anchor and more...