COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The work culture has changed significantly in the country due to COVID-19. Many people are working from home and may have finally adjusted over the last few weeks.
As states slowly begin to reopen, workspaces may look a little different.
“First of all, we’re going back to something that’s going to be a new normal, so it’s interesting because when you take a look at what productivity either remote or working in an office perspective, a lot of business owners and managers right now are finding out and learning that a lot of their people are very actually very happy at home," said business strategist Cheri Perry.
However, working from home may not be for everyone, and Perry says it really is a person to person case.
“From a managerial standpoint, the very thing that’s going to have to take place is some good clear communication," said Perry. "Talk to your team, what do they want, what do they like about working remotely, where are the challenges?"
For employees, she says it’s important to ask yourself if your work ethic is wired to work remotely?
“We’re all wired a little bit different, so if you’re a self-starter, self-motivating, you don’t need a lot of absolute guidance so working remotely is probably a great thing for you and even if you’re not wired in that way if you want to figure out how do I become more motivated and effective at home, you really want to start out with some very basic things, like one get up on a schedule," said Perry.
Despite each person’s different work ethic, America's work culture may begin to face a new normal.
“I think one of the benefits of COVID-19 scenario that we do what Americans do," said Perry. "We look at a situation and we take whatever the challenge is, we look at it and we figure out how to make things better. I think we’re going to go back to a different work environment that’s not going to be the same. I think we’re seeing a completely different, there’s a lot of uncertainty about those kinds of changes."
Perry adds that it’s important to have clear communication between managers and employees to figure out the best step forward for their businesses.