Week 183
Positive post Sunday, August 23, 2020- Week 183.
This week’s Positive Post Sunday was made easy by Robert Glazer Founder & CEO, Acceleration Partners. Back on June 14, 2020, my week 173 PPS was about families making the best of staying at home during the pandemic. Since I’ve been working from home since March, I’ve been meaning to write about working remotely, and low and behold, I came across Robert’s Friday Forward article titled, “Rethinking Assumptions”. Here’s the link: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__fridayforward.cmail19.com_t_y-2Dl-2Duklttlk-2Dtdudiljrdu-2Dc_&d=DwMGaQ&c=oBiQyooBvnd4iujXa1WDRw&r=O5bRWRiYkeGAVmvQT9C4zY2ScVAHLvGPNmesz0goPdw&m=cVm-viRsav2liCErTe2dNnG8DnaEsqIDWze1AKH9ZIQ&s=eIXYxo7KtzJQ4x1ewPRox8XPZPO0IIIsx0pTMKv394c&e=. This is a great read and covers much of what I was planning to write.
Robert notes that, on occasion, we can be afraid to test assumptions against reality. He uses his own company, which has been 100% remote since 2007 as an example. You might say he was ahead of his time. Many business leaders felt, at least until COVID-19, that virtual work could never work for their companies based on a long list of unproven “assumptions”. I must admit, that I and my company also shared concerns about productivity and the ability of employees to perform and stay connected while working remotely. I can say from personal experience, I have never worked harder or longer and felt more connected to my colleagues than over these past 6 months working remotely from home. This unprecedented experience is causing me to “Rethink Assumptions”.
Among other things, this pandemic has taught us that we can survive, and in many cases thrive, while working remotely. In fact, many businesses are shifting from business resumption plans (typically used for natural disasters) to business continuity plans and incorporating remote work as an essential element to continue to run the business during disruptions.
Although many companies are rethinking remote work and will likely incorporate some form in future business models, I find it important to note that not all work can be performed remotely. For example, first responders, health care workers and in my line of work front line utility workers (the true heroes) to name a few, must suit up and go to work each day. I’m so grateful for their service. Also, although this pandemic has opened the eyes of many on the potential for remote work beyond this pandemic, it should be recognized that working remote during a pandemic is significantly different than during normal times. Therefore, when establishing remote work practices and standards, they should be sustainable beyond a time of crisis.
This pandemic has made us all rethink many assumptions in our lives, and Robert poses the questions for me, “What is an assumption in your own life you need to rethink?” And I’ll add, what are you going to do about it?
He also provides a thoughtful quote from Aaron Levie: “Start with the assumption that the best way to do something is not the way it’s being done right now.”
Check out Robert’s new book, How To Make Virtual Teams Work.