Office Culture Beyond the Office

Working from home, or really living at work, has been a difficult adjustment for many. After months of trying to find a summer internship, I was lucky enough to land one with the only catch being I’d never meet my boss or coworkers in person. I worked every week on my own with the only communication back and forth being via email. This was not the entry into the workforce I expected. My situation is like many where offices are moving to digital spaces. Those who have the ability to work remotely are utilizing technology to create some assemblance of conventional work methods: weekly meetings are now being held over Zoom rather than in a conference room, travel has ceased, and instead of going to the water cooler we go to our personal refrigerators.

Moving digital has been quite the adjustment for myself and I presume it’s the same for many. We are social creatures who thrive on daily interactions so being inside all day, stuck at a desk working on tasks for your job you are not truly connected with can feel really strange. This the most authentic time in business history when companies can decide how to lead through a crisis. This can mean a lot of different things. For some companies it means a complete overhaul of previous policies that pave the way for new, more open and inclusive ones. Google and Facebook have extended their work-from-home policies into fall and next year while Twitter went even further extending their policy to “forever.” The utilization of technology has led me to learn that our efforts aren’t necessarily needed in the office as the same amount of work, if not more in some cases, can be done effectively from home.

Even with us having the ability to work from home, support is still necessary to survive through this unique situation. While creating new policies can be helpful for some companies, I believe building on the foundation that already exists can be quite efficient and supportive. Here are some tips I think companies should take into consideration while leading during a pandemic:

Communication

Opening a dialogue between upper level management to employees is imperative to fostering a positive work environment. By communicating individuals needs, company needs, and anything mutually beneficial, office culture can begin to shape into an inclusive environment. During the time of the pandemic, we’ve seen a great need for support and understanding. Creating conversations surrounding these topics can open the door for a healthy work environment where employees not only feel comfortable, but connected to the work they are doing at the company. I found it very helpful to have check-ins with my managers to see how I was doing at the firm after entering at such an odd time. Without this communication, I’d likely still be suffering from the problems I was facing. Placing a strong emphasis on open communication can communicate actions that are consistent with values.

Reflect on purpose, values, and vision.

Understand and act on what your business exists for, who it exists for. If this means going back to the drawing board, tweaking some old statements, creating new ones, do it! The nature of business is that it changes over time. This shift in life is a perfect time to reflect on what the company strives to do in a regular climate, but especially a climate when there is so much uncertainty. Functioning during chaos is a perfect time to reiterate where your brand stands on values and vision. If the vision has changed over time, communicate that. If values have remained the same and still have an importance on what you do, communicate that. Displaying transparency and honesty are salient efforts that promote a positive shift in culture at this time.

Utilize technology

Making sure all team members are able to utilize technology will help create communication away from the office. Setting up email or text chains as well as video conferences can help employees feel more connected while being out of the office. Zoom and video chatting services alike allow for presentation mode to share screens and virtual backgrounds to make your background space anything you want it to be. This can help team members effectively display information and even add some humor to the strange situation we are all in together. At this point in time, we have the ability to create an office outside of the office through connecting online.

The shift seems daunting, but as it goes on it will become easier. Focus on fostering supportive environments can move the process along and hopefully place us in a better position than before. Any efforts to communicate, reflect, and use tools can change office culture for the better and create long lasting impact on businesses.