What is the difference between ‘remote friendly’ and ‘remote first’ work, and why is this difference so important?
Sandra Thompson tells Bill Banham in our latest podcast about this difference, whilst also explaining why she has a focus on how we work rather than where we work.
What is emotional intelligence?
It involves how you recognise and understand emotions in yourself, and also influence the emotions of others, explains Sandra.
We are emotional creatures, meaning we are aware of when we are happy, and when we like our work. However, this means that we also recognise when we are feeling stressed.
Sandra explains that our emotions are a choice, though. And, when we practice the skill of emotional intelligence, we are able to understand and emphathise with others too.
“WOULDN’T THE WORKPLACE BE AMAZING IF WE FELT INVIGORATED, RATHER THAN FEEL THE ENERGY BE SUCKED FROM US BY STRESSFUL SITUATIONS!”
– Sandra Thompson
Why the focus on the how instead of the where?
Work is a series of tasks, whether it is problem solving, or working with others. Sandra explains that sometimes, employees need to be in a silent environment in order to come up with something new, or to solve a problem. Other times, though, people need to be in an environment where they feel they are being inspired.
Sandra explains how your environment has a large impact on the quality of your work, subsequently suggesting that you should put yourself in different environments according to what work you are doing.
What about the difference between ‘remote friendly’ and ‘remote first’?
The key difference is that ‘remote friendly’ is a perk and a privilege. Post-pandemic, we now have people working ‘remote first’. We also have people working in a hybrid model.
‘Remote first’ is when the design of the company is such that you consider remote working as the first point of call. Sandra explains that this type of work is de-centralised.
“ULTIMATELY, PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN ‘REMOTE FRIENDLY’ ENVIRONMENTS ARE STARTING TO FEEL THEY’RE MISSING OUT OF OPPORTUNITIES IF THEY ARE NOT IN THE OFFICE.”
– Sandra Thompson
As a result, Sandra explains how organisations should be designed in such a way that people are not penalised for the choice they make on how to work.
How does the emotional intelligence differ of those working from the office and those from home?
These top eight skills are found to be present in the majority of remote workers:
- Communication: Remote workers tend to write up a communication charter, outlining which channels of communication work well for oneself. Communication is critical. In fact, in a remote space, they over-communicate.
- Self-motivation: Remote workers tend to have a grand sense of self-motivation to get the tasks finished that are needed to get done.
- Trust-worthiness: Sandra explains how this concerns the ways in which remote workers fulfil the expectations of their managers.
- Discipline and managing your energy.
- Critical thinking and curiosity: Remote workers find their own answers and independently analyse the answers that they got.
- Adaptability
- Accountability: It is important that remote workers can prove to their colleagues that they continuously meet their deadlines.
- Empathy
Sandra explains how these eight skills should be taught to all employees. If so, the office would become an equally great place to work.
Listen to the free podcast here.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
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