What can we not do?

Many of us have become used to working remotely during the COVID 19 pandemic.Some of us have become used to managing others remotely - though there are still issues to resolve.  Of course, some processes are more difficult than others and, for some, we need specialist software support.

But ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. If we can’t do things face-to-face, we have to find ways of doing them remotely.

Can we hire people. Yes, we can. The administration of the hiring process can obviously be carried out remotely - and  we can use our remote meeting technologies to conduct online interviews - though this needs careful planning and preparation.

We can monitor performance - though here we have to avoid a simple emphasis on ‘duration of activity’ and find ways to monitor and assess outcomes or achievements.

We can communicate - work instructions, rules and regulations, and even elements of the organisation’s values and culture. 

We can carry out training - using online learning, video demonstrations and so on. 

So, it seems as though the question is not ‘What can we do remotely?’ But rather ‘What can we not do remotely?’.   Humans are innovators; they like a challenge.  

We have a range of technologies at our disposal. Let’s think creatively; let’s get things done.

Some of the things we have started will continue when the pandemic is over. Let’s have a positive legacy from the awful situation!