What will the post-Covid workplace look like?
Riding a wave is no longer a valid business strategy: its all about preparing for the unexpected  Covid-19 has completely upended how we think about business; from office space right through to the apparent futility of those annual industry predictions of which we were all so fond. Business continuity plans have changed  Tom Cheesewright, leading futurist and author of Future-Proof Your Business, says: More and more leaders are coming to terms with uncertainty. Their sense of confidence about the operating environment has been shattered. And theyre recognising that their priorities need to change. From optimising the business for maximum profit or growth to preparing for future shocks, leaders now are looking for ways to add resilience and adaptability.  Collaborative working: requirements are shifting, so must businesses Credit: Getty  Cheesewright says businesses are now shifting from monolithic structures optimised for one thing to much more flexible networks of components that can be reorganised to meet new needs.  He adds: The best analogy I can give is that it's the difference between a die-cast toy car and one made from Lego. The former is sleeker  more optimised  but its hard to change. Whereas the latter is less optimal. It has knobbly bobbly bits sticking out, but it is much easier to change into something new.  The physical footprint has changed  Businesses also now need full oversight of their physical footprint, especially as more of them are moving into a hybrid workplace model. This includes understanding the purpose of their business premises and the provisions included in their leases. Geoff Elliott, principal consultant at supply chain consultancy Proxima, says: Organisations cannot simply walk away from an agreed lease, so it is important they have a full understanding of the length, commitments and costs involved.  Proximas Finance Leaders Outlook 2021 report suggests that 58pc of UK business leaders are set to introduce some form of remote working in future, while 21pc will introduce complete remote working conditions. Says Elliott: Undoubtedly, we will see businesses requiring less office space than they currently occupy. Businesses will need to identify what will attract employees to offices, making the office a destination for employees to collaborate with colleagues and clients  and this means rethinking the purpose and function of their premises.  Our technological needs have changed  The pandemic has shone a light on our reliance upon technology and the need for integrated, advanced IT systems. We believe that, for the majority of office workers, flexible working and hybrid teams are here to stay in some form for the foreseeable future, says Dr Andy Brown, CEO of leadership and engagement business, ENGAGE. Dr Brown says that businesses need to ensure hybrid and remote teams stay connected and that barriers are removed for those working remotely. Working from home: as people's patterns change, adaptation is key Credit: Getty  Streamlining communication, digitising assets and flexibility are definitely some of the crucial solutions businesses must adopt in order to be able to pivot, re-adapt and readjust to a different business climate, says Chieu Cao, CEO and founder of Mintago and co-founder of Perkbox. Our priorities have shifted  We do know that the future of work has become more personal. Engagement is taking on new forms and must be inclusive of the way people are feeling; but also fair and equitable across the business  for the ones in the office and the ones who remain remote working, says Patti Alderman, AVP, digital experience at Cognizant. She adds: New behaviours are forming and people are starting to have strong opinions around how to behave in a post-Covid era. Businesses will need to lean in and give guidance to create an inclusive place where everyone  the mask wearer or non-mask wearer  can equally feel like they belong.  We need to future-proof  One thing the pandemic has hit home is the need to future-proof. Riding a wave is no longer a valid business plan, and planning for not just the fallout of the pandemic but also preparing for future crises is vital. Disruptions like we experienced with Covid-19 require companies to be much better in their communication and management skills. says Cao. The best way to invest in future-proofing a business is to invest in change management and create a culture of resilience. Successful businesses have aligned the needs of both management and employees so they can adapt to the changes.  Many companies have been used to looking ahead when setting budgets, says Cheesewright, usually copying and pasting the complex web of spreadsheets from last years budget and tweaking things up and down. But this is no longer enough: Leaders and managers are hungry to learn new ways of looking at the future that opens their mind to possibilities like a pandemic.  The future is now  Forget making predictions for next years business trends  if theres anything that 2020 taught us, its to be ready for anything. From being more adaptable in the face of socio-economic changes, to ensuring data and systems are secure in the new hybrid workplace, Brother is here to get your business ready for the future  now. For more information, visit brother.co.uk/business-solutions/hybrid-working