How can we develop productivity and innovation when we’re still working from home?

Guest blog | Donna Kessler and Gary Bender of Get Local Expo

We all have theories and thoughts about how best to work, what workspace suits us, how we can best find that work/life balance. But up until last year, we all mostly worked in an office setting, doing the ‘9-5’ grind.

Over the last year, you might have heard a similar story to this… A friend’s teenager finished school last year – missed out on Schoolies courtesy of COVID-19 – landed a great entry level job at a bank. Six months in and they are planning to leave because what fun is there in working from your bedroom when you are 18 years of age?

Unless you are writing a novel or music, or something along those lines, young people – and we’d suggest a fair few older ones too – need more engagement with their peers than they get on a computer screen. They need guidance and, maybe more than that, they need to see how their managers work, dress, interact and converse.

And then there’s the social side. Who doesn’t remember their first job working in ‘the big smoke’? You’d dress nicely, you’d go out for lunch, you’d hit the pub on a Thursday or Friday evening more often than not with your work colleagues. It was fun and it brought you and your team closer together so that come Monday, you’d be working harder than ever to achieve common goals.

Certainly, having the technical ability to work from home proficiently when the need arises can be a good thing, however, to do it day-in and day-out can’t be the way forward forever.

In our last blog, ‘Have we forgotten the serendipitous nature of face-to-face events?’ we talked about the serendipitous nature of attending events – those unexpected moments where you connect with others, and which can lead to great things. Similarly, these true jewels of connection exist when you work face-to-face in an office and when you’re not working together, they just don’t happen.

Further, with no incoming workforce from overseas to fill employment gaps, and none likely for some time, it should go without saying that we need to nurture those we currently have working for us. And that includes those in the business events community.

So, how do we develop productivity and innovation while working from home?

1. Collaboration

There is absolutely no reason why opportunities for collaboration can’t happen to keep people engaged, especially younger people. This could be as simple as a monthly catch-up with the entire team or a quarterly one or two-day meeting where everybody comes together, reconnects and reengages.

Team building exercises can also go a long way to forging loyal workers, especially as face-to-face is more limited than it was pre-COVID.

2. Encouragement

In an industry where we get our rush from ‘doors open’ and seeing all our combined efforts coming together to produce successful events, it is so crucial to be encouraging of ideas while we work from home. Brainstorms, pow-wows and huddles are the perfect chance for leaders and teams to acknowledge and encourage their team.

3. Opportunity

Nothing says dead-end job quite like a lack of opportunity; no opportunity to go further, do better, have career progression.

Productivity is increased and innovation generated when there is opportunity to succeed. It’s a key part of business and staff retention, particularly when the industry is all about who you know. Find ways to give your team the opportunity to succeed and make lasting connections, not only for themselves but for your business.

Get Local, 18-19 October 2021 at ICC Sydney, offers the chance to network, learn and create new opportunities for you, your team and business. Don’t miss out on key conversations and serendipitous moments. Register now: www.getlocalexpo.com.au/local.php

Guest post by Guest blog by Donna Kessler and Gary Bender of Get Local Expo

Get Local is an Australasian business events exhibition being held at the ICC Sydney on 18-19 October 2021. It will bring the business events industry together in a flexible and engaging format, showcasing suppliers, destinations and products for meetings, events, conferences, incentives and group business travel across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. Get Local will give buyers and exhibitors the opportunity to meet with the right contacts, identify business opportunities, drive lead generation, build relationships and grow their network. Register to attend by visiting www.getlocalexpo.com.au/local.php