Work culture in COVID-19 & post COVID-19 world

What is work culture?

By definition work culture means sharing the same work values, attitudes, standards and beliefs. It is deeply rooted in the goals, strategies, structure, in the approach to the customers and the relationship with and among the employees.

We all know there are many variations of everything in the world so it is no surprise there are differences when it comes to work culture depending on the country and nowadays on the era we live in.

Talking about a positive work culture

In a positive work culture employees sense that they are contributing to a successful group. That is when the level of commitment and productivity, as well as the quality of the products or services, are likely to improve.

In our culture, and many other similar cultures, we are used to getting up and getting ready for work. This year Covid-19 came into our world and impacted not just people’s health but also every business all over the globe changing the way we do business and for sure changing our work culture. No more getting up and getting dressed for the office (as the office desk is now our kitchen table).

Facing the challenges of the “new normal”

Many organisations were put to a test and were faced with a different organisation of work in order to maintain their business and better cope with the crisis. Every good business saw that they need to adapt to what was called a “new normal”. We have witnessed layoffs, some even had to close their businesses but in the end of it all we have also seen strangers helping each other cope with the crisis in finding new positions. The power of love indeed!

Working remotely

First line of defence was remote work. But this change came suddenly and too quickly for many of us, creating a new era of work and work culture- Covid-19 work culture.

Although some companies have had experience with organising and supporting their business and employees in working remotely the Covid-19 crisis certainly extended this way of working to most of the world’s companies and not just a few.

At first most people liked this way of working and being at home, knowing that they can be completely relaxed (they can take a break whenever they want and organise the work and time as it fits them best) but at the same time they were being productive and were financially secure from the comfort of their homes. To some it was a relief and much expected scenario but not to everyone. Old habits die hard one can say.

Having a full house

Many of the employees are not alone, their work is hampered by other household members, lack of space etc. And as in the “normal” work setting they must maintain communication with superiors and their colleagues and achieve the best possible results for their company. This demanded a big change in the work culture (remote work, online meetings, new apps, new everything).

Home culture=work culture

This way of working actually forces employees to really show what their ambitions are, what are they like with colleagues. It brought their culture to the surface.

This just confirmed a saying that our culture comes from our home. Now we can use that same saying for the businesses as well.

Testing, testing…

Covid-19 work setting was certainly a good test for every organisation, how and in what way to reach more people, their emotions and to raise the overall satisfaction of the organisation and its employees to a higher level. HR and other departments had their hands full.

Although there are plenty of reasons to be dissatisfied business wise, Covid-19 crises surely brought something positive.

It has raised awareness, the level of importance of having trust in each other to be successful in whatever the mission of the company. It has also emphasized our interconnectedness as well as our empathy. And this is how we operated in the lockdown period of Covid-19, when the world seemed to have stopped.

Little by little we adapted.

Post Covid-19 setting

Judging by the current situation in this “post Covid-19” time remote work is probably here to stay. And to be fair Covid-19 is also here to stay, unfortunately.

As this is becoming the norm, we have to wonder how culture can be built without daily interactions and human contact. We are said to keep the distance but we have never felt closer and connected to each other during this crazy time.

We can thank managers, virtual classrooms and meeting rooms for keeping in touch with our team mates and for keeping our heads and businesses „above water”.

What awaits us in the future?

Many problems and questions were raised during Covid-19 and even more are coming to the surface in the post Covid-19 period but the most important thing, when it comes to working, is to do what we love and with the people we can have good relationship with, directors and managers that have enough empathy for this hard period. If we do what we love it will not be difficult for us to be good to each other and be willing to give ourselves for the good of the organisation. We can smile, talk, wave and interact virtually, can’t we?

Sharing is caring

Giving is not only the essence of good business, it is also the essence of interpersonal relationships and life itself. We can turn this situation around and think of the Covid-19 as a springboard for some forgotten values and virtues. We can be open, more adaptive, patient, better listeners, more willing to participate, be ourselves more. In these challenging times we can share experiences, knowledge and tips on how to overcome this situation, how to not lose touch.

There is a quote I personally really like and it goes like this:

“People are always in good company when they are doing what they really enjoy.” ― Samuel Butler