Development
Work from Anywhere: is 2021 the Future of Work?
By Greg Nichols This article references USA cities and towns. Replace the references with cities and towns in your region.
AUDREY KHUSID, FOUNDER AND CEO of Miro (https://miro.com), the digital whiteboarding platform, which has doubled its user base from 3.7M to 9M since March 2020 and is now used by 95% of Fortune 100 companies, has a front row seat to the evolution of the changing workplace. Based on his observations from 2020, he predicts that work from home will become work from anywhere (WFX) (www.zdnet.com/article/remoteworking-101-professionals-guide-to-the-tools-of-the-trade), and there will be a massive digital transformation
The phenomenon of highly skilled college graduates leaving their hometowns in middle America and relocating to economic centers like Silicon Valley, New York, and Austin is commonly known as "Brain Drain," -- and remote work may finally bring it to an end. Instead of fleeing the heartland en masse for new opportunities, remote work will allow these workers to stay settled in regional hubs like Madison, Grand Rapids, Asheville, Boulder, Nashville, and Raleigh. This regionalization of talent will have a massive impact (www.zdnet.com/article/digital-transformation-spotting-the- on American culture, affecting everything from winners-and-losers-in-2020) as a result. What else will real-estate markets to electoral politics -- while still change? I caught up with Khusid to discuss the giving companies from around the country access future. Here are his six most poignant predictions to top talent. for 2021, with thanks for the insights. Hybrid work will present new challenges to Mastering remote work is all about finding the unequipped teams right tools to stay productive and connected. This Thousands of enterprises will gradually begin guide will help you and your team be synchronized phasing teams back into the office (www.zdnet. and working in harmony. com/article/return-to-work-how-the-technology-mix-weWork from home will become work from anywhere (WFX) More and more companies are announcing that remote work will be permanent, even when travel restrictions and social distancing will not be. The result: As travel opportunities begin to reopen, millions of employees will turn their newfound remote status into the chance to work from anywhere, relocating outside of urban centers, making up for lost time with family, or participating in remote areas and other "workation" opportunities. And because companies have spent the last year investing in technology that enables virtual collaboration -- for many of these employees the transition will be seamless. The heartland will see an "undraining" of brains 36
November-December 2020
by adopting hybrid strategies that combine remote and in-office work. While hybrid work is a good compromise to protect employees with health concerns, the risk becomes introducing "worst of both worlds" work habits into company collaboration. To mitigate these effects, enterprises can embrace a culture of asynchronous sharing to replace many of the status and other routine meetings that fill up employee calendars. For brainstorms and real-time meetings, companies must make meetings interactive so that virtual attendees can participate with just as little friction as in-person ones, and craft collaborative practices that are inclusive to remote workers, like holding meetings entirely virtually even if some members are in the office.
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DAWN
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