You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf
It has been another challenging week in the world, Boris and his trip to ICU, Trump and his WHO rebellion and China slowly lifting its lockdown to allow the country to get back to work.
It has definitely not been plain sailing that’s for sure in these choppy economical waters.
Having spoken with many friends, customers and suppliers over the course of the week, there was a common theme that underlined the current situation we all find ourselves in.
The best way to describe the changes to us all is to liken it to a series of waves, of which we are in the middle of currently, which when you think about it, the first three weeks of the lockdown (or the first wave) saw everyone cobbling together their solutions. They were using a bit of divert to mobile, WhatsApp, Zoom or similar video conferencing solutions. All of which done in a hurry to keep the lights on and the wheels of industry turning but in a bit part way.
With this in mind, businesses are clearly making this work and the wheels don’t seem to be falling off yet. However, as we enter the second wave people are asking themselves how can we make this easier and more enjoyable for colleagues to use whilst maintaining good communication, continuity and mental wellbeing for all concerned.
This is the point where we at Albion Business have noticed the need for businesses to start to train staff to use tools properly and consolidate what they are doing across WhatsApp, Zoom and all the other pieces of software they are using to get through.
Businesses are trying to get everything into a central hub that they can control and make it more enjoyable/ efficient to use. Essentially business wants a bit of a sort out and to remove unnecessary tasks and hurdles. That might also mean integrating the PBX into whatever system they are using.
This then naturally leads onto the third wave which will see people asking themselves fundamental questions around the long-term viability of working more remotely. Those will be questions like, do I want to spend 1.5 hours in a car everyday travelling to and from work? Do I need multiple offices to house my staff? Can I attract better talent to my company with a great flexible working policy?
The biggest driver for this third wave, or long-term view, is the social acceptance of Remote Working. People have now learnt its ok if your kids wander into the background of a conference call or your dog starts barking at the postman. It’s the acceptance that we are all human with lives, it’s the acceptance that sometimes work and the home life collide. This mental shift cannot be underestimated.
Don’t forget to take a breath, not every wave needs to be ridden but equally sometimes simply riding that wave gets you further faster.
Have a great weekend and Stay Safe.
Richard Brindley
Founder
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Home working and Isolation Plans
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Letting staff work from home brings many advantages, but it’s always better to plan for this eventuality in advance. With the right infrastructure, your staff can be just as productive as they would be in the office and more importantly, customers won’t even notice the difference. Also consider video conferencing like our Gamma Collaborate software that brings the customer to you and vice versa….
Ensure the plan is flexible and involve your employees . Conduct a focused discussion or exercise using your plan, to find out ahead of time whether the plan has gaps or problems that need to be corrected. Explain what HR policies are in place to protect them and the business.
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Business benefits & Great features – all in one place
Instant messaging : Online chat between users, reducing email inefficiencies.
Video Calling: Create a stronger collaborative experience using visual communication from mobile or desktop app.
Presence: Shows personal status such as ‘available’, ‘busy’, ‘meeting’,‘away’ that helps determine the best way to communicate.
Ad-hoc and planned conferencing: Quick and easy multi-party collaboration using My Room, a personal and fully managed conferencing space for voice, video and sharing.
Hosted PBX features: The full telephony feature set and service including bundled minutes.
Horizon Collaborate is suitable for any sized business looking to improve productivity, increase collaborative team working, attract more diverse talent and speed up business decisions.
Watch this short video to see how other customers Collaborate with their customers.
Call us today on 01782 269494 for more information on how to keep the business wheels turning.
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