During the early months of 2020, a game-changing phenomenon struck the globe with fear and worry. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rapidly affected various populations around the world, causing the people's daily lifestyle to come into a halt.
Initially, the state's first line of defense is to lock people inside, locate the infected, and treat them. While some regions have already succeeded in implementing their strategies, many countries are still fighting to flatten the curve.
The medical and healthcare field are doing their best to formulate a vaccine that can hopefully eradicate the pandemic. Within this timeframe, people will have to adapt to the “new normal” to keep them safe while resuming their daily activities.
A Look At The Business Landscape
Among numerous sectors in this current global situation, the business sector became one of the most impaired. In the initial onsets of the pandemic, business operations stopped to give way to healthcare and more essential matters.
However, they can't pause their services for too long because it's wounding the economy. In one way or another, companies and organizations should resume their operations.
With this in mind, here are some salient points and points-of-view noted as the “new normal” in the business setting emerges:
1. Online Reliance
To slow down the pandemic's progression, physical proximity is avoided as much as possible. Distancing from one another is a valuable tool in stopping the infection. Thus, companies now rely on the internet to get their operations back on track. Although the internet was already widely utilized before this health crisis, it has become even more vital now.
Today, both small- and large-scale businesses are encouraged to find ways to reconnect online, and it's a massive challenge for them to explore these online spaces. To survive and remain resilient to these changes, a business must find its digital transformation on both online-to-offline platforms.
Because of this, companies are slowly discovering their strategies, such as inviting their employees to meet in online meeting software during essential gatherings. Moreover, having a responsive and informative website will keep prospective customers engaged.
On another end, e-commerce shopping platforms are alive and kicking. Since consumers minimize outside contact, they resort to online shopping to get their essentials. Transport and express delivery services are also thriving, which offers quick delivery options for customers.
2. Remote Working
In individual perspectives, employees are glued to their computer screens to operate their business. Working from home is another challenging endeavor for a single employee, and the failure of one can significantly affect a business's entire operation.
Although working from home isn't a new dimension, since many people do home-based jobs for a living, it's difficult for employees who are usually gathered in their office rooms. Indeed, the virus changed the way how people utilize the internet.
Despite the surge of internet users today, not everyone has consistent access and a fast internet connection. In this case, companies should be able to support their workers that are affected by the digital divide by providing the following:
- Peripherals, such as working devices (smartphones and laptops), reliable internet providers, work software and applications
- More flexibility due to varying living situations
- Training for online usage and collaboration
- Supportive and encouraging interactions
3. Career Autonomy and Management
Along with substantial challenges that the pandemic has brought, there are also advantages and opportunities for both employers and employees. As physical workplaces transitioned into a remote one, employees can achieve career autonomy and expect a more relaxed management approach from their employers. Conventionally, employers keep a close eye on their workers, but it can be a burden for employees to work at ease.
However, this isn't just an issue of guaranteeing smooth and quality services, but a matter of trust. Due to remote working, company leaders and managers should learn to trust their employees in completing their work. It doesn't mean they should stop monitoring their employees, but they should avoid pressuring oversight within the workplace.
On the other hand, employees have the chance to prove their efficiency in working remotely. If their leaders have placed trust in them, then they must remain honest at all times. This give-and-take interaction will keep misunderstandings at bay despite the barriers.
4. Challenge Towards Productivity
As employees achieve career autonomy, they recognize it as career isolation at some point in their remote working journey. The next obstacle comes in: keeping themselves productive, motivated, and encouraged to work against the current crisis and their living circumstances.
Since most offices only operate for eight hours a day, an employee working remotely can do their tasks at any hour within the day where they feel the most productive. Managers should be able to adjust to this accordingly by offering flexible working hours while maintaining priority commitments.
Nevertheless, the unproductivity dilemma boils down to an individual employee. If you're a worker experiencing this productivity block, read some tips and advice on how to make working from home work for you.
Bottom Line
Like any other pandemic written in history, the COVID-19 has drastically changed how the world lives today, especially in the business landscape.
Despite everything, businesses should know how to stay resilient and operational through the “new normal” measures discussed above, which will be observed until the crisis is resolved.
