A new study released by RW3 CultureWizard reveals a fundamental change in the way we work. Nearly 2,700 business professionals from 106 countries who participated in the biennial study, 2020 Global Virtual Work Survey, indicated a strong preference for continuing to work remotely, even when they have an option to return to the workplace.
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According to Charlene Solomon, President of RW3 CultureWizard, “There is a fundamental change taking place in the global workplace. We can no longer assume that people are working in the traditional office where they communicate face-to-face, and we’re about to discover that the flexibility and productivity of working from home will remain.
“Once you acknowledge this dramatic change and the fact that 89% of respondents say their virtual teamwork is somewhat or extremely critical to productivity, you realize that this transforms the workplace.” Transformation of this consequence doesn’t come without significant challenges. The Study indicates that 65%
report virtual communication is more difficult than in-person communication, and 54% of respondents need to adjust their communication due to the lack of visual contact.
Findings show the virtual nature of remote work can exacerbate differences in individual work styles and culture, underscoring a pressing need to develop virtual collaboration and leadership skills. For instance, 92% of respondents reported engagement and collaboration as traits of a good virtual teammate, but different cultures have different understandings of what it means to collaborate.
Given the significance and challenges of virtual work, it’s noteworthy that only 26% are trained to increase their productivity on these teams.
“Ways in which we collaborate, establish leadership priorities, and build trust with employees we never see in a traditional work setting will require leaders and workers to adapt time-honored practices to the new environment,” says Solomon. “Virtual team training must be combined with cultural awareness and inclusivity training in order to develop high performing global virtual workers who simultaneously reap the benefits of remote work without compromising the benefits of diversity.”
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