New Rules for Remote Work

Reasonably done look at things that make sense,  we have done much remote work for some time now, years in many cases, but now its just lots more of it.

HBRWK: Business Research for Business Leaders

The New Rules for Remote Work: Pandemic Edition  by Dina Gerdeman

Welcome to the new world of remote work, where employees struggle to learn the rules, managers are unsure how to help them, and organizations get a glimpse into the future.

With many people working remotely for the first time, many of us have experienced a videoconference interrupted by barking dogs or hungry kids demanding snacks, punctuated, perhaps, by slamming cabinet doors and grinding ice makers in the background. We all understand, of course—we’re living it, too.

Welcome to the new world of remote work, pandemic style.

Before the coronavirus hit, 5.2 percent of US employees reported telecommuting most of the time, while 43 percent worked from home at least some of the time. Now, with the pandemic shuttering workplaces, that figure has skyrocketed globally.

But remote work during this bizarre time is certainly not business as usual, even for work-from-home veterans. While some of the typical remote work rules apply, others don’t. Business leaders need a new game plan.

We asked Harvard Business School professors to provide practical advice for managing large-scale, long-term remote work at a time when many employees are not only distracted by the commotion in their homes, but are shaken by the crisis unfolding outside their doors.

“MANAGERS SHOULD MAKE THE CALL ON HIGH-LEVEL PRIORITIES, SO EMPLOYEES CAN FOCUS ON THEIR BEST WORK.”

Here are 10 ways that leaders can support employees who are working remotely during an unprecedented and uncertain time:  ...