Work from Home Risks: The world has been thrust into a situation that is forcing us into new solutions. Take work, for instance. Working from Home has been around for decades. Recent tools such as video conferencing and collaboration apps have facilitated that transition. Working from Home saves on real-estate expenses and commute time, leading to a happier and more satisfied workplace. So why hasn't every company in the world implemented a Working from Home strategy?
It's all in the risk, baby!
What exactly is risk? Per the great sage, Dictionary.com, Risk is Exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance (Dictionary.com). Work from Home risks seems new and different, which scares people. Some people go through all kinds of scenarios to avoid risk in both their personal and professional lives. Others laugh off risk engaging in activities such as skydiving and bungee jumping. A successful leader will put the work from home risk in its proper perspective as it is only part of the equation.
In business, there are three main areas that C-Suite leaders must stay focused on:
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Increasing revenue -
Cutting expenses -
Cutting risk or avoiding severe problems.
If you are an organizational leader and do not focus on those areas, you waste your time. You may ask, "Well, what about the mission and the vision of the organization?" Vision and mission drive every other thing in an o. If Vision and Mission are not clear that everyone can roll in that direction.
You may also ask, "Well, what about the well being of my team members? They are good people." That is important, but if you go out of business because you didn't bring in enough revenue, overspent, and took unnecessary risks, those good people will be trying to go figure out how to eat and pay their mortgage on unemployment.
Mission and vision drive everything in an organization. Businesses that do not take in enough income, overspend, and take unnecessary risks are off-mission and unable to attain their vision. Does anyone disagree with that?
Happier and more satisfied workspace = Increased Revenue
Lower Real Estate Expenses = Cutting Expenses.
So why isn't every company embracing work from home strategies? It's the risk! Working from Home puts companies at risk. Yet in most cases, the risk of not implementing a work-from-home paradigm is greater. You can mitigate the risk by bringing. In a Working from Home specialist to help you reduce the risks. The consultant should have a thorough understanding of these work from home risks
The Work from Home Risks:
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Employee distractions lowering productivity: Many distractions must be dealt with when working from Home. These are anything from the children fighting in the other room to the cute cat picture on Facebook. Human beings are designed to be distracted, and the distractions are increased in a Working from Home paradigm. -
Lack of collaboration: In the virtual workspace: collaboration must be intentional. The organic collaborative environment isn't possible, so structures must be designed, lest the flow of ideas will stop. -
No direct supervision of employees: Let's face it, some employees, when not directly supervised, will not work to the best of their ability. When identified, these should either be better motivated, brought into the office, or let go. -
Hyperfocus leading to employee burnout: For example, Zoom Fatigue. Zoom fatigue causing productivity to plummet, bringing death by meeting to new levels. When I was a child, my mother always told me that if I sat too close to the TV Set, I would go blind. That may have been hyperbole, but Mom had a point; sitting in front of a screen all day is not healthy and can crash production. -
Legal and compliance issues: Working from Home does not mean you don't have to apply all regulations various governmental jurisdictions impose on your business. Companies have gone out of business from not taking compliance into account. -
Lack of ergonomic workspace Non-ergonomic workspaces, such as team members lying on their beds with their laptops, could expose the company to increased workers comp claims and lawsuits. Remember, some people have full-time jobs figuring out how to get people money from workers' compensation, not to mention the loss in productivity due to downtime.
Why would anyone be crazy enough to implement a Working from Home strategy with all these risks? Besides the fact that there is a pandemic that is forcing the issue, there are also risks of not implementing Working from Home. The lure of employees not having to spend long commute times gives companies that have implemented Work from Home the competitive advantage in attracting talent. Lower real estate expenses mean an increased bottom line. If implemented correctly, the improvements to employees in well-being and work-life balance, Working from Home can actually lead to a vast increase in organizational productivity. A good Working from Home consultant can design and implement a strategy that deals with distractions, hyperfocus, collaboration structures, ergonomics, and compliance so that your risk is minimized and your rewards are maximized. By this time, you may be wondering what to do next. Well, what you need to do is successfully implement your company's work-from-home strategy. I can help you with that by tailoring an approach geared for your company, including but not limited to:
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Identifying the traits ideal for Working from Home -
Audits to determine your team member's distractions -
Establishing collaboration structures -
Strategies to deal with Hyperfocus and Zoom fatigue -
Identifying company-specific issues, processes, resources, technology, workflow, and other actionable recommendations tailored to your organizational needs.
The really good part is that I would love to be the person who implements your strategy. I have had a passion for Working from Home for at least two decades, so as a special incentive to encourage you to take some action, I am offering a Discovery Session at no cost, no obligation to you.
My contact information is right here on this page, so drop me a line, and I will schedule your Discovery Session. I know you are busy, so I will only take 30 minutes of your time, but I promise you 30 minutes of value. Hope to talk with you soon!
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