What: Some practical ideas on how to make remote working function.

Why is it important: department stores are discovering remote work and its complications and pitfalls. Using the experience of consultancy firms, we can learn more quickly some ways of tackling the problems effectively.

One of the challenges of remote work is to build and sustain a strong culture. In fact, consultancy firms have been doing just this for years. The author from McKinsey identifies three keys to the success of this endeavour:

1. Build a strong learning and social culture. This was achieved through “super Fridays” once a week and yearly “value days” with most employees physically present.
2. The building of team microstructures. At the start of each project, teams draft charters that specify how they will schedule and conduct meetings, share the workload, make decisions, give each other feedback, blend virtual and in-person interactions, and respect individual styles and preferences.
3. Constantly refining the core of the culture to deal with and adapt to changing circumstances.

3 Tenets of a Strong Remote Culture