The coronavirus outbreak has catapulted the modern working person into the future, by making it mainstream to stay home and communicate with others digitally. With some conservative owners and directors, the traditional view is that people should be sat at their desk when they are working. That they’re not going to get anything done if they log in from home. The crisis has forced the hand of these old-school bosses to let go and accept that the show can go on without the whole squadron having to commute into the office every day. Imagine how much energy we are saving the earth by skipping this daily commute! When you add it all up for all the people across the globe, the numbers are astronomical. It’s almost like a blessing in disguise, pointing us towards the obvious work approach for the future.
It’s like a blessing in disguise, pointing us towards the obvious work approach for the future.
Humanity in 2020 has become a single giant organism and consciousness. The fact that a bug that took hold of human tissue in Wuhan, a few months later gave respiratory problems to a doctor in Lima, is a true testament of the global phenomenon. With centuries of developing and perfecting infrastructure across the planet, we have actually made ourselves quite vulnerable in the process.
The internet has become the collective consciousness, where thoughts are posted and opinions shared for everyone to see. During this time of crisis, it has become even more apparent how the mass sentiment of the global population is shared. Social media has become the dominating news medium, with live coverage and commentaries by real people we all can relate to. The world has changed, and it is sure to keep changing. For the better I hope.
Social media has become the dominating news medium, with live coverage and commentaries by real people we all can relate to.
Sid Sijbrandij is the founder of the world's largest all-remote company. With a workforce of over 1100 spread across 65 countries, GitLab has surprisingly not a single physical office. They have really mastered the art of managing remote teams and are setting the standard for how companies of the 21st century will work. Sid explains that in order for such a company setup to work, you have to have leadership buy-in. People will mimic what the leadership is doing, and if all the senior managers are working remotely, it will be natural for everyone else to follow. He also highlights that transparency is paramount and you have to make sure things are laid out in front of every team member to ensure they all understand what’s going on and feel they can trust the company. I am personally convinced that the world’s leaders should follow Sid’s footsteps and focus on all-remote workforces. I am also convinced that it is better for people, better for companies and ultimately better for the planet.
People will mimic what the leadership is doing, and if all the senior managers are working remotely, it will be natural for everyone else to follow.
Now it’s your turn to lead your team and company into the future. Be brave and be creative.