If many office workers continue to work remotely, then the spaces where they work will require some re-arranging.  Perhaps for comfort, productivity, or seeking a new place to set up. For example, they may choose to work in their neighborhood coffee shop for a few hours out of the day. Even if they work at home, they’ll want to take advantage of the newly added flexibility and get out more during the workday.  Imagine the remote workforce working in mixed office spaces, coffee shops and restaurants. This may become a new reality for a good portion of the workforce as companies roll-out new plans for phasing back employees.

Cities have always been adaptable and flexible, and they have been reinventing themselves ever since their inception. Especially for a world with 7 billion people — where millions of people must come together in one way or another for socially and economically productive activity.  A more carefully constructed, safer public realm can allow more flexibility for getting around and communicating with one another. All of which can make cities a better place to live.  This may open the possibility of businesses and spaces designed around the remote worker. 

So how does this all tie together? Our work/life balance has the potential to cause change along with where workday interactions occur.

How can a company or organization optimize employee performance when society is forced to shift in this direction? By utilizing collaboration tools across their teams. This could be something as simple as Microsoft Teams, WebEx, or even Zoom.  This will allow team members to continue working together to accomplish goals while working a more flexible and happier life.

Not only will this keep activity moving, but it will allow employees to be satisfied and engaged.  Everyone wants to work for a company where they feel connected.  Not only with the company, but the people specifically.  These tools allow employees to do this effectively. This became especially important when much of the U.S workforce lost the opportunity to see each other face to face every day during COVID-19, which forced us to rely on alternatives.  But in the future, you will see more and more organizations utilize collaborative tools to maximize their workforce under challenging circumstances.

If you have any questions about this article, or would like to learn more about solutions for remote teams, please reach out to us anytime!