The Remote/Distributed Workforce – Here to Stay … You Better Figure It Out

A recent Wall Street Journal article caught my attention and for all the wrong reasons. Companies Start to Think Remote Work Isn’t So Great After All … Projects take longer. Collaboration is harder. And training new workers is a struggle. “This is not going to be sustainable.”

The distributed workforce and remote workers are here to stay. Executives are just beginning to understand that remote workers can be more productive, and it is far less costly. And executives get it! The financial justification is overwhelming. Company executives initially relied on technology to support their remote work forces. Harnessing the right technology is the first step.

This new paradigm requires a change of culture and new approaches to recruiting, training, management, and measurement. It is not the end of face-to-face meetings; it just means fewer of them.

The investment in collaboration tools and communication including project planning and video conferencing is small compared to the lost time. It will dictate fewer meetings and less commute time. If projects are taking longer, collaborating is harder, and training new workers is a struggle – your organization has not embraced the necessary change. Your people (and perhaps you) are clinging to outdated procedures, a lack of tools, and most important … aversion to change.

Companies that embrace this necessary change, invest in the right tools, and adapt to new processes and procedures will emerge stronger and outpace their competitors. Let us guide you into this new economic reality.