Despite multiple predictions that COVID-19 would put an end to offices, it’s now clear the future of business won’t be fully digitised. Instead, physical and remote workspaces will coexist in a new era of flexible work.
While about half of UK employees are back at their desks, almost as many want to keep working remotely, with 80% hoping to do so more often. For companies, adapting to this blend of needs will create an increasingly hybrid working reality where people with different requirements dial in from many different environments.
But the question is: how can this fragmented set up be effectively managed?
As HR and business leaders know, sustaining workforce-wide performance and enthusiasm depends on mastering the right blend of processes. Deciding on these processes amid a tide of confusing advice is the challenging part. To find the ideal balance, they must hone the ability to tell genuinely useful and unhelpful productivity tips apart.
To help them on their way, here is a rundown of the top five best practices:
Ensure efficient delegation
Delegation isn’t a new concept, but popularity has surged in recent months. As the crisis has driven sizeable challenges and busier schedules, suggestions to share the load have also increased. But while delegating tasks can be sensible to maintain focus on key projects and prevent burnout, companies must be wary of inefficient delegation that can actually reduce productivity.
Too frequently, work is passed on without enough explanation or consideration of how it will impact colleagues, which can leave the designated helper overwhelmed and unsure how they’ll manage their extra responsibilities.
If companies want to improve employee satisfaction and limit stress, they must delegate with greater care, recognising that personal productivity must be boosted to improve the output of the whole team. Each staff member must commit to finalising core priorities on time, and take a moment to check whether co-workers have sufficient capacity before passing over tasks.
This insight-based method of allocating and re-directing work can provide a highly effective foundation for further performance-enhancing tactics like positive micromanagement.
SME Support Forum Northern Ireland 