In recent times, we have been witnessing a profound change in how we perceive our lives and our work. In the workplace, remote work has become an increasingly present reality and has brought with it a set of new and interesting challenges that require our full attention and, more than that, our creativity.

The paradigm has been constantly evolving, leading us to a new watchword: reinvent.

The truth is that while the hybrid model was previously a reality for some companies, the pandemic has forced the majority of companies to adopt this model and, therefore, reinvent themselves in this regard. On one hand, this new reality has brought us greater schedule flexibility and time efficiency, increased autonomy in organizing and planning our tasks, improved work-life balance, and the possibility of working in a more comfortable environment. On the other hand, it has presented interesting challenges at various levels, particularly in terms of team spirit, engagement, and the monitoring and follow-up of employees.

Therefore, I pose the following question: What can we do to ensure that employees feel equally integrated, involved, and satisfied inside and outside the office? And it is at this stage that I would like to emphasize the watchword: reinvent! If there is something that recent years have shown us, it is that adaptability, resilience, and creativity are the key ingredients for successfully overcoming major transformations that are imposed.

There is a need to revisit work methods and adjust them, to listen to employees and understand what remains important and what may have lost importance amidst so much transformation. In addition to this, now - more than ever - it is necessary to maintain unity and team spirit.

This is a responsibility for all of us - employees - even with different roles. It is important for organizations to rethink work methods and tools in order to provide closeness to employees; for managers to reorganize and readjust work methods, tasks, team monitoring, and socializing; and for employees to contribute with their feedback, improvement suggestions, and collaborative spirit.

Organizations face a great challenge in light of this new reality. And despite having come a long way, there is still much more to discover. It is important to acknowledge that little remains the same: 100% in-person. Employees and candidates increasingly value the hybrid/full remote model, and the need for companies to adapt to the market is a constant reality. In this sense, it is essential to transform talent attraction processes; to redefine onboarding processes (virtual or hybrid); to train managers to be able to manage their teams remotely; to provide training and/or tools that allow employees to work in this model; to analyze KPIs that assess satisfaction and retention rates; and to regularly survey employees to gauge engagement levels and determine the path to success in this regard.

Nevertheless, the role of team leaders remains crucial to the well-being of their employees. It is imperative that, in this new model, goals and targets are revisited and new ways of achieving them are defined. And it is crucial to adapt best practices, with precision and planning, such as: regular team meetings to share work; one-on-one meetings to give and receive feedback about the work done and next steps; openness to give and receive feedback from all sides; and, very importantly, transparent communication through clear and objective messages, as well as trust in employees through autonomy and task delegation. The goal remains the same as always: to have employees fully committed to the project, not only physically but also mentally, and for that to happen, they need to feel involved, heard, and have an active role in their functions.

However, let us not forget that the "engine" of companies is all the people who represent them, regardless of their positions. In this sense, it is the mission of each and every one of us to be committed to contributing to significant improvement within our organization over time. It is critical for all of us - employees - to be transparent in the feedback we provide to our managers and colleagues, to have critical thinking to add value to processes, procedures, and ways of operating, to be resilient in overcoming adversities and finding new ways to adapt to different realities, to keep in mind that change takes time and requires our trust, commitment, and dedication, to be curious and proactively contribute with different ways of doing more and better, and last but not least, to have the audacity and creativity to reinvent ourselves.

Moreover, it is also important not to forget that team spirit can be maintained and sustained in various ways. And notwithstanding everything that has been said so far, there are many other alternatives to bring our people closer together and foster a sense of cooperation and camaraderie, such as: team meetings with the goal of getting to know each other better, for example, through a question-and-answer game; virtual team games, which are always a way to relax and share a moment of leisure; creating a team playlist where everyone can share and discover different tastes; creating a team group where each person can share their experiences and difficulties; among many other ideas that, with some creativity, can surprise and satisfy team members.

In conclusion, the transformation that this reality has brought us can translate into very positive results if we all work towards that goal. Let us be daring in order to make the most of the challenges that come our way!
 

By Adriana Albuquerque