Trends in Work Culture in 2021 (2)

If you are a reader of Oleoshop blog, you have probably had the opportunity to read the first part on trends at work for 2021, which we recently published.

The truth is that this transformation seems to be so deep that it is necessary to develop the it further by adding a few more topics to complete the analysis.

The growing weight of technology, the tools imposed by teleworking rise, the way we communicate with our colleagues and suppliers... We may be facing one of the greatest changes of recent times.

Let's not dwell on the introduction and go straight to what is to come.

This is a key issue. All those workers with a less technological profile are going to have to "get their act together" in 2021.

Until now, and with a “work at the office model”, in most companies there was an IT and systems manager who solved any issue: from the configuration of a computer to the stability of the Internet connection.

In the new decentralized reality of work, each of us is forced to be much more autonomous in the management of our professional tools. This includes both the computer itself and the software needed to carry out our work.

It seems that the use of post-it notes left on desks and meetings at the coffee machine are no longer the way to communicate with the team.

Personally, I must say that this is a step forward in terms of communication (although coffee is always missed in company). With so many powerful project management tools at our fingertips, it's hard to understand those who still reject them.

Of course, one of the great trends in the culture of work for 2021 will be this new form of collaboration. We will see how the spaces created with Asana, Slack and similar platforms are really starting to be used, and cloud solutions to work with documents will become basic.

This is driven by the use of these tools we have just mentioned, but also by the new way of working.

A teleworking team in which each member is disconnected from the rest makes things not flow. Tasks are left undone or redundant and, in short, there is no minimum of productivity.

The only antidote to this situation is communication at all levels. Firstly, with the team leaders, but also with colleagues in our departments (or anyone else involved in our work), suppliers, partners and, of course, customers.

In 2021, you will be especially concerned with refining communication within the company.

One of the things that the generalization of teleworking has demonstrated is that a large part of business travel can be avoided.

Obviously, it will depend on what you do and the constraints that this entails, but having to move one or more people to another point on the planet is not only inefficient economically (transport, accommodation, diets ...) but also in terms of work, because they cannot work in the same way in roaming as in the office and their availability is lower.

Zoom, Teams, Skype... all these tools that so strongly arrived during confinement, are actually specially designed to avoid those unnecessary trips. Even Augmented Reality solutions are beginning to be seen to create an experience similar to a face to face meeting, but without leaving one's office.

The new way of working in 2021 means, almost indirectly, that workers will have more free time, and that is good for business.

It is clear that the more hours the worker or entrepreneur has for himself, the more satisfied he is. Companies that favor this new model will have a better chance of keeping talent.