Remote work has transformed the relationship between professional staff and the companies that employ them. By skipping long commutes and opting for in-home offices, professional staff report enjoying more time with loved ones and a better work-life balance. In terms of financial benefits, Global Workplace Analytics reports that those working even in hybrid environments save up to $4,000 in commuting and related costs and can keep even more of their paychecks if they can relocate to less expensive areas. Companies also benefit financially from the arrangement, with the data pointing to savings of $11,000 per year for every employee who works remotely half of the time versus those who work in-office full time.
But even a win-win situation has its challenges. Questions over productivity seem to lead to the most fervent debates, though current data remains wildly inconclusive. Studies have linked remote work to everything from 19% declines in productivity to 24% increases. What is less ambiguous, however, is that while companies and staff are more connected than ever thanks to Zoom, Slack and countless other digital services and project management software, both sides can feel less connected. When ineffectively utilized, digital platforms poorly emulate authentic human connection instead of nurturing real relationships. As powerful as these modern tools are, they are only as effective as the individuals who use them.
The Importance of Proximity and Communication
Considering that more than 50 million Americans began working from home following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we enhance our abilities to connect over digital platforms. To do so, we must first identify the key benefits of in-office work, one of which is the value of simply being in the same room as peers.
Economists at the New York Federal Reserve Bank, the University of Iowa and Harvard focused a recent study on one important question: “What are the effects of proximity to coworkers?” In observing engineers at a tech company, the economists found that junior engineers received less feedback when working remotely, which stifled early-career development and increased rates of turnover. Though young professional staff may oppose it, sharing a physical space fosters and builds communication skills, which in turn creates lasting bonds that benefit both themselves and the organizations they work for.
Everyone agrees on the power of communication. Leadership development and training company Fierce, Inc. found that 86% of surveyed employees and corporate executives believe a lack of collaboration and poor communication are leading to workplace failures. A reliance on digital platforms naturally leads to less quality face-to-face time, and even “millisecond delays in virtual verbal responses negatively affect our interpersonal perceptions.” The effects of poor communication can be disastrous for interpersonal trust among co-workers and an organization’s profitability.
Learning From Improvisation
Companies looking to empower professional staff to overcome the barriers associated with modern communication are increasingly turning to a powerful experiential learning method known as applied improvisation (AIM). This training and facilitation modality uses the key principles of improv theatre and leverages them to other contexts to develop professional skills. By enhancing an individual’s ability to improvise, adapt to unforeseen challenges and be effective in the face of the unknown, AIM helps professional staff thrive in increasingly ambiguous business environments.
At the core of AIM are nine principles: awareness, agreement, connections, creation, initiations, presence, simplicity, vulnerability and value. Already well known to improvisational performers in theatrical settings, the value of these principles in professional settings has attracted the attention of businesses looking to improve their operations.
The growing acceptance of AIM is unsurprising, given the strong parallels between how successful business teams and improv casts operate. Putting humor aside and focusing solely on cast behaviors, the audience at an improv comedy show would see that the cast are listening to each other, acting as a cohesive unit, sharing credit, handling multiple roles simultaneously and adapting to the situation at hand without any script. Simply put, improv cast members are expert collaborators, creators and communicators, using their myriad skills to work together and create value. These individuals are not prodigies; they learned how to do this by carefully studying improvisational principles and practicing them in group settings.
How Applied Improvisation Works
AIM is a team-based, in-person activity that is conducted by experienced instructors. Companies often find that their offices are perfectly suitable environments to hold these programs, which last a few hours and are most effective when scheduled on a regular basis. These professional workshops are tailored to the specific needs of an organization, often focusing on core professional skills like leadership, collaboration, creativity and communication.
In a CEOWorld article, Laura Lindenfeld, director of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, says, “Applied improvisation can build strong teams by allowing individuals the opportunity to connect to each other and to their professional interests and ambitions in a way that is safe, engaging and fun. It’s one more tool — one that I find to be extraordinarily effective — in building and retaining strong teams of highly motivated individuals who love what they do.”
Reducing the challenges associated with remote work platforms hinges on professional staff trusting one another, and AIM sessions offer the opportunity to connect in meaningful and memorable ways. Participants learn how to listen to each other as well as the importance of being present in the moment, both of which are essential to productive, collaborative meetings. The lessons learned might occur in a physical space, but once they’re internalized, professional staff can utilize them to hold more effective virtual meetings — meetings where all participants feel heard, respected and valued.
Using AIM to Build Cohesiveness and Collaboration Among Remote Staff
AIM training programs are uniquely suited to create the connections and cohesiveness needed to operate productively in a remote work environment. AIM addresses the well-recognized separation, trust, collaboration and communication challenges of remote work, and AIM builds the social cues and skills that are vital to succeed in a remote, team-based environment.
Learning and development (L&D) professionals can use AIM programs to initialize, establish and maintain team integration and productivity. Such AIM programs begin by assembling the entire team to get better acquainted, build trust, understand roles and work responsibilities. Specific AIM activities are chosen given the team’s objectives, work complexity and need for intra-staff collaboration. Conducting these activities establishes a cohesive environment and trusted work setting for professionals who will later be working remotely. While these sessions can be done remotely, they are far more effective in person.
Furthermore, AIM programs can be used to teach active listening skills, vital in a remote work environment. Such programs give remote workers a prime opportunity to connect, strengthen and align crucial interpersonal relationships.
Temporarily removing the communication barriers that hinder virtual meeting platforms allows remote teams to focus on the nuances of human behavior and the importance of awareness. For example, among the numerous activities that comprise an in-person AIM workshop, one called “Yes/No Thanks” is particularly beneficial for enhancing remote work efforts. Participants share a physical space to allow for unimpeded eye contact. The workshop’s facilitator begins by looking at someone, saying “you,” and offering to walk toward that person. Without delay, the selected individual must enthusiastically say “yes,” which allows the facilitator to trade places and forces the individual chosen to repeat the activity or say “no thanks” to have the facilitator find someone else to swap with.
During the debrief following the activity, participants are encouraged to reflect on the importance of communicating clearly, having agency in a given situation and adapting to an unexpected problem. Each area of professional development is vital to overcoming the challenges of virtual meeting platforms, where eye contact, quick decision-making and reading the room are paramount to successful collaboration. Customized to the needs of an organization’s learning and development program, AIM programs provide training that can radically improve remote work performance.
Conclusion
“If the pandemic and ‘great resignation’ taught us anything, it’s that managers need to be intentional and engaged with employees to be truly effective,” says ZipRecruiter’s chief economist Julia Pollak in a CNBC Make It article. “The challenges with remote work aren’t going to be solved overnight, but making that change is a strong start.”
By honing core professional skills through interactive and informative workshops, AIM increases trust and engagement in the workplace and leads to more productive and profitable operations. That change can prove revelatory for all involved, allowing businesses to reap the full benefits of remote work.
