In this article I examine why working from anywhere is the future of many types of work and is here to stay. We will also look at how to be effective in implementing work from anywhere policies in your business.
This term "work from anywhere" or "hybrid work style" or "working from home" was academic but unheard of until COVID-19 pandemic came in around March 2020. This pandemic has caused upheavals in society and business world turning centuries old work style of going to a workplace and caused almost everyone having to have to work from home or a remote location. Let's find out what it's all about.
The big question that has been going on since the pandemic started is what work style do I choose for my staff and how do we change (if we have to) to a different work style.
This article focuses on work from anywhere and hybrid work styles but each business needs to weigh all the options choose a unique mix and approach that works form them. That may be a combination of different work styles or a single work style.
Contents
Different business work styles
Let's briefly explore the different work styles because there's a lot of terminologies out there and it's important to identify the types of work styles in order to plan your business.
Work From Home (WFH) work style:
This work style is purely conducted at home property including the backyard. Work from Home (WFH) refers to a working arrangement in which an individual performs their job tasks from their own home, rather than commuting to a traditional office or workplace. This arrangement has become increasingly common with the advancement of technology and digital communication tools, allowing for greater flexibility and autonomy in work schedules and environments.
Work from home arrangements can take various forms, including full-time, part-time, or flexible schedules, and may be adopted by employees, freelancers, or entrepreneurs. While offering benefits such as reduced commuting time and increased flexibility, WFH also requires self-discipline, effective communication, and boundaries to maintain productivity and work-life balance. Parents with children or sick parents often choose this option.
Note: Because working from home is really just one location of many possible locations we will be talking mostly about "Work from Anywhere" because it's a better description in my opinion as it covers any location other than office.
Work from anywhere (WFA) work style:
This work style means being able to perform your office work from any location and not being bound by specific restrictions eg: needing to be in the office part of the time. It is the most flexible to deal with pandemics and changing climate.
Work from home in my opinion can be included under work from anywhere because you are working somewhere else other than the office. Take a look at this interesting article from Forbes by Sarah Travers from July 2021: "Three Tips For Letting Employees Work From Anywhere" where it discusses the ramifications and tips when working from anywhere.
Office only work style:
This work style requires all staff to go to a centralised location or a collection of locations. It is the costliest out of all the work styles to a business as building and the equipment in it has to be provided. And there was a time where video conferencing and other communication technology didn't exist so it was essential for productivity and collaboration to be in a central place.
This work style enables staff to mix working from different locations like home, on the run and in the office. It brings staff together to a physical office for part of the week and the rest of the week they work from anywhere or from home.
Take a look an at interesting BBC article by Christine Ro from August 2020 entitled "Why future of work might be 'hybrid'" where it explores whether the hybrid work style is the best of both worlds (work from anywhere and office in one) and creates greatest flexibility and caters for all sorts of people - some needing human contact and interaction at least some of the time.
In this blog we will be focusing on work from anywhere (WFA) and hybrid work styles because I professionally think it's the future and gives the best cost and productivity gains when done right. And we will explore the aspects and important point to consider when designing an optimum WFA or Hybrid work style.
But first, let's look at the history of working remotely and how it has shaped our lives in the modern age.
History of working remotely
The history of working remotely, or telecommuting, can trace its roots back through several key developments over the years:
Early Instances:
- 1800s: With the advent of the telegraph, people could communicate over long distances, laying the groundwork for remote work. However, this was more about remote communication than actual remote working.
20th Century Developments:
- 1950s-1960s: Technology like the fax machine and photocopier allowed for document sharing outside traditional office settings, though these were not widely used for remote work.
- 1970s: The term "telecommuting" was coined by Jack Nilles in 1973. Nilles was involved in a NASA project looking into reducing traffic congestion by allowing people to work from home using computer technology. This period saw the first experiments with remote work, primarily within big corporations.
The Rise of Digital Technology:
- 1980s: Personal computers became more common, and companies began experimenting with remote work more seriously. This decade saw the introduction of modems for home use, which enabled remote access to company networks via dial-up connections.
- 1990s: The internet's expansion significantly boosted remote work. Email became a staple for communication, and with the World Wide Web, information sharing became almost instantaneous. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) emerged, providing secure remote access to company resources.
21st Century Acceleration:
- 2000s: Broadband internet became widely available, making remote work more feasible and efficient. Tools like Skype for video conferencing and collaboration platforms like Basecamp or later Slack started to appear, facilitating remote teamwork.
- 2010s: The proliferation of smartphones and tablets, along with cloud computing, further supported the remote work culture. Companies like Automatic (behind WordPress.com) became fully remote, showing that large-scale remote work could be successful.
- 2020s: The COVID-19 pandemic was a significant catalyst for remote work. Lockdowns and social distancing measures forced many organizations to adopt remote work policies en masse, leading to widespread acceptance and infrastructure development for remote work. Tools like Zoom saw explosive growth due to the need for remote communication and collaboration.
Current Trends:
- There's a growing acceptance of hybrid work models where employees split their time between office and remote settings. Companies are also investing in digital nomad policies, recognizing that work can be done from anywhere with a good internet connection.
- Concerns about work-life balance, data security, and productivity continue to shape discussions around remote work. However, the flexibility, reduced commuting, and potential for a global talent pool are seen as significant advantages.
Remote work, once a novelty, has now become a standard option in many industries, driven by technological advancements and societal shifts towards flexibility and sustainability. However, it continues to evolve, with ongoing debates about its long-term impacts on productivity, culture, and social dynamics in the workplace.
Let's now explore the essential aspects of remote work success!
Essential aspects for remote work success
With any approach to doing business work from anywhere or hybrid work styles require good planning and forethought to be successful.
When aspects of those work styles are missing - everyone suffers and tends to revert back to previous ways of doing things.
Which is not a bad thing - some have to work in an office only eg: medication production or factory work (we will talk about factory automation another time).
1. Leadership
Research shows that the management play a huge part in setting the right culture for the hybrid teams of today. In a recently published book entitled Work From Anywhere by Alison & Darren Hill show you how to shape business and culture strategies to bring out the best in your hybrid and remote team members by focusing on both performance and people.
Another place where this need was revealed is by a research paper released in 2013 called Telework, productivity and wellbeing: an Australian perspective under section "3.2 Telework and productivity: management guidelines" the researchers observed:
"Comments from managers of teleworkers also indicated that from a productivity perspective, managers needed to use a different management approach in telework environments . This approach, based on trust, required managers to have regular virtual meetings with individuals and teams that focused on task-based deliverables".
So it really starts with the leadership changing the way they manage their people - in a spirit of trust and empowerment. The focus should be to set targets and not worry about how this is achieved, if you have employed and trained capable staff then they will follow you to your goal (as long as it's reasonable and logical).
This does not mean micromanagement and having daily video meetings - this becomes cumbersome and makes staff feel like being in a prison and feeling like their management doesn't trust them. If they conduct themselves honestly and achieve the goals you set you will notice amazing results. And that approach comes hand in hand with work from anywhere or hybrid work styles.
2. The right remote information technology
In February 2013, Dr Marianne Gloet & Dr Mendoza & Dr Kurnia (Melbourne University) and Dr Bosua (Open Universiteit Nederland) published a research white paper entitled "Telework, productivity and wellbeing: an Australian perspective" where the results showed that adequate technology was required to enable and support telework in order to achieve optimum productivity. It also confirmed that productivity was not a major concern for organizations that developed a culture of telework. It states in section "3.1 The importance of IT as an enabler for telework productivity":
"Across the research cases investigated in this study, it was evident that adequate technology to enable and support telework is required to improve productivity. As such, basic collaboration and networking tools, mobile devices and a supportive network infrastructure need to be in place in order to achieve productive outcomes in terms of telework."
Working at different organisations and then starting my own business, Cyberkite, I realised that clients who buy mismatched and low quality staff communication, connectivity and productivity (computers etc) equipment found the whole work from anywhere or hybrid work style difficult and ended up reverting back to working in an office.
It's therefore important for decision makers to weigh the reduce expenses running a larger office space and redirect those funds into staff hardware and apps that work well with one another. This is why I offer Innovation consulting services which including product purchasing advice to help make that easier for businesses and get a much better result in remote work.
Learn about my Innovation consulting services here: cyberkite.com.au/consulting
3. The importance of staff and proper training
The other side of the coin apart from Leadership approach is the staff play an important part and need training in order to be comfortable with using technology and find the right work style for them. Some work better in the office only, some work well anywhere and some work well with a mix of office and home. This depends on their home situation - some living alone and some living with others.
This is why hybrid work style is the most popular type which I quickly discovered after running a LinkedIn poll (required LinkedIn login to view) on the different work styles. 67% of people interviewed across Australia have embraced the hybrid work style and about 25% embraced work from anywhere all week (no office use). Folks this is here to stay.
In the 2013 research paper called Telework, productivity and wellbeing: an Australian perspective under section "3.3 Telework and productivity: worker guidelines" that working from anywhere and hybrid work styles are more productive than the traditional office only. But they require staff to be familiar with the technology they got and to make good use of their time in spite of occasional distractions. The research states:
1. Teleworkers are more productive if they have the ability to work away from the office on demanding tasks that are difficult, complex and non-routine. (Michael: It depends on type of business and personality)
2. Even though teleworkers felt that they are more productive when working away from the office, they may end up working longer work hours than required when working away from the office.
3. Often teleworkers will make productive use of the time saved when not having to commute to the office.
4. Teleworkers felt that while a hybrid arrangement to telework contributed to productivity, they prefer to keep telework days to an average of two days per week. They felt the need for social interaction and face-to-face conversations with colleagues to mitigate a feeling of isolation that often occurred when teleworking.
5. Teleworkers need adequate training in the use of IT tools to ensure that they are productive in delivering task outcomes when working away from the office.
6. A suitable ‘away from work’ environment with adequate IT support allowing teleworkers to continue their office work seamlessly allows for more productive teleworkers.
4. Digital wellbeing in remote work
Research also showed in research paper released in 2013 called Telework, productivity and wellbeing: an Australian perspective under section "3.4 Telework and wellbeing" that workers needed a different approach to task actioning.
The staff also found that wellbeing fluctuates on some days it's great but on some there needs to be wellbeing processes and technology in place to manage their digital wellbeing. The research paper also came up with 3 observations regarding the benefits of remote work:
1. The ability to work away from the office enabled a better work-life balance on telework days, which engendered a positive attitude towards work
2. Working away from the office allowed for alternate activities (e.g. an hour of working instead of driving in heavy traffic), which energized workers, resulting in less stress and allowing for more productive work
3. Workers could better balance family and work life, and the ability to have a presence at home contributed to a more happy family life.
As part of Cyberkite's Innovation consulting services we can cover the aspect of digital wellbeing as part of any workplace, especially those who work from anywhere. There are lots of technologies and approaches to helping your team with digital wellbeing including the right devices, settings on devices, apps on devices and policies and procedures the promote good mental health and digital detoxing/switching off:
What about the idea of a detox 30 mins during a workday where all activity except the essentials stops and everyone has a digital detox?
Or reminders digitally and in offices in lunch areas - lunch time is detox time - put the the cookie down! (I mean put the phone down!).
I can come up with a lot more ideas but you'd have to book me in for that because I each business is different and needs a different set of solutions
Work from anywhere and hybrid work styles are great but both benefits and negatives with digital wellbeing have to be addressed for it to work.
5. IT security is essential for remote work
Successful work from anywhere or hybrid workplace requires good IT security measures to ensure your weakest link isn't you working from home. This has become a priority for any business including small business when allowing their staff to work from home or anywhere at least part of the time. This aspect was not covered in the 2013 telework research paper but has become a very important aspect of work from anywhere and hybrid workplaces.
Why? Well because you don't have much visibility over any intruders that are trying to gain access to staff working from anywhere or at home. Therefore it is important for any size business to invest in their staff's IT security even if it's the staff's own home devices.
Thus my recommendation is take a zero trust approach or at least add some measure of IT security control across personal devices without the need to monitor staff or forms of standardisation.
Check out this interesting Forbes article on this topic by Einaras von Gravrock in March 2021: "Navigating Cybersecurity In A Hybrid Work Environment" where he covers the ramifications and tips on what is needed such as:
"If your company has adopted (or is planning to adopt) a hybrid working arrangement, you must rethink how you manage your infrastructure and effectively provide tools or resources to keep employees and company data secure. There will not be a one-size-fits-all approach to how companies could handle hybrid work security."
Technology for WFA & Hybrid work styles
Technology is very important for remote work. Let's analyse the areas of technology needed.
1. Communication
A productive and performing business has a good foundation in establishing good communication through very effective tools like video meetings, group chat and phone.
Without good communication you can't glide easily when in a work from anywhere or hybrid work style. Unified Communication (UC) is an approach where all your communication types are accessed on all devices from one app and has gained popularity since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are the benefits of a single solution for business communication:
Better productivity: Your teams will be able to connect how they prefer, through whichever device that works well but it will bring them all together in one place online.
Reduced costs: Because UC systems operate on the cloud, they allow companies to shift away from a Capex model, to an OpEx strategy with fewer initial expenses
Stronger performance: Because employees can both communicate, and collaborate in an instant, they can solve customer problems faster, and improve your business reputation
Enhanced user experience: A good UC strategy can delight your employees and even reduce turnover in your organisation, by giving people more freedom to work as they choose
This is crucial for remote work styles.
2. Connectivity
What does it really mean to have good connectivity? The most important foundation in digitally transforming your business is good IT connectivity. We think there are four pillars of awesome connectivity:
Good Office Internet: Whether your teams work from home or in the office they need good and reliable internet. Its important to have the right advice (eg Innovation consulting from me) and providers as well as products for your business to reduce those slow loading pages, freezing video calls and problems synching documents to the cloud.
Good Office Network: You can have fast internet but if your office has problems with the network wiring and equipment then there will still be bottlenecks, freezing pages and video calls. We (Innovation consulting services by me) or your local provider can help consult to help you transform slow, unsafe and unreliable office networks so they need little repair or maintenance.
Good Wi-Fi: Many businesses report unreliable Wi-Fi connectivity such as poor signal coverage in parts of their office, loss of data, disconnection and data loss. We (Innovation consulting services by me) or your local provider can change that with our amazing range of Wifi products and installation services. We also suggest to equip all desktops with a Wifi card (if not already) so that staff can activate their personal hotspot as a backup internet connection in case of a telecommunication outage.
Good Staff Mobile Connectivity: To complete the picture, when staff are out and about they need good phones, mobile data and reliable network to be able to connect anywhere. As an Innovation consultant I can come up with competitive mobile handset and plan solutions to give your staff that final and important part of connectivity when out of the office.
Without connectivity remote work is impossible both from the office and and from the remote end.
3. Cybersecurity
What is Cybersecurity? Well I'll let you see the video in this paragraph (above) but essentially its protecting your staff and your data in your organisation.
I have also developed a 7 protection layer model for all aspects of Cybersecurity and it is necessary to secure your staff in their homes and anywhere in such a way. On Cyberkite Cybersecurity service page thr 7 layer model will give you a good idea what cyber defences are needed for small business. Visit Cybersecurity service page here: cyberkite.com.au/cybersecurity
As attacks on organisations intensify remote workers are being targeted as a weak point in the organisation. So cybersecurity must be strong for remote workers to operate successfully.
4. Productivity
Staff productivity in the modern and ancient times involved technology to get something done faster. In the office it is IT hardware and software provided to staff to get the job done better and quicker.
Switching to work from anywhere or hybrid work style has many productivity benefits provided the right productivity tools are provided. Remote work can also bring travel and other cost savings to staff and to the business. And that is reflected by Dr Marianne Gloet who was one of the lead researchers in the research paper released in 2013 called Telework, productivity and wellbeing: an Australian perspective . It is clear that if staff don't have the right tools when working from home or anywhere they will not perform.
Productivity tools like a laptop and mobile devices and others is essential for remote work.
But it's important to know that selecting the wrong productivity products mismatched can cause the remote work experience to be poor. As an Innovation consultant I can assist small businesses to provide them advice on the best matched productivity tools that will match with communication and connectivity equipment to provide a good experience for remote workers and stuff in the office connecting to them.
5. Paperless
A big hindrance to the digital transformation and transition to work from anywhere or hybrid work styles is PAPER! Paper forms, paper to scan, paper to archive and so on require funds, time and effort to maintain.
A business that is paper free is almost impossible but a business that is paperless is very much possible and getting easier and easier to accomplish. Check out this video (above) by Dr Melissa Gracious on he thoughts on the paperless office.
Cyberkite has developed a simple, staged, gradual transformation process for your business to truly move away from paper in the office. We can consult with you yo help your business send paper to cyberspace in your business. If you're a small business in Australia, you can book an Innovation Consulting session here: cyberkite.com.au/consulting
Here is the process we undertake with our clients to help them transition to paperless:
Stage 1 - Preparation - Upgrade hardware to transform paper to digital format more efficiently. Eg: MFP's and scanners. This may mean deploying small MFP's/Scanners in staff homes and assisting staff to get started in using them or setting up larger MFP's (Multi Function Printers) in office spaces to better facilitate the establishment of e-filing as the best way to store files.
Stage 2 - Transition - Scan paper documents, Upload them to a Cloud storage solution, Organise the data documents and setup a backup facility for them. For example sometimes I just provide direction to your leadership team in the transition process while teams and staff convert to e-filing processes and procedures and they recommend best practice based on how business runs and what data they store.
Stage 3 - Enhancement: This stage is all about improving things continually.
Remove Paper Signing - E-Sign to remove the need to scan documents just to be signed. Recognised by most countries as legal document for most types except certain government or legal forms.
Invoice Processing Automation: This can help speed up the accounting function.
Filing Database Upload to transition from cloud storage into a database for some types of data like client files and emails. Biggest problem we have seen companies using email mailboxes as places to store emails and documents. Transitory action post email mailboxes is to move the clients emails, documents and communications intro a database that can handle email and data storage in a secure environment.
Other enhancements.​
So as you can see a paper free office is crucial to a work from anywhere situation and hopefully I've provided a idea of how to get there.
Smart & AI
Smart technology setups and products in the workplace are becoming a more common thing and they help to improve processes in the business and enhance the staff productivity and wellbeing.
Devices such as smart speakers or automations or AU on devices or processes help speed up deliverables and reduce expenses. This is especially true of repetitive actions including in the physical world such as what robots can do in the office.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has now gained prominence and is poised to enhance the productivity of all and for some it will take their jobs away and we can relax on the beach. For all it's negative and positive effects. AI is here to stay and it will transform work from anywhere situation where staff can focus more on helping customers rather than do the back of office.
I think the human customer service can never be fully replaced because robots in AI cannot have a heart. But perhaps AI and robots will approximate a height through kindness and good customer service. Time will tell or what happens.
Results
I think work from anywhere and hybrid work styles are here to stay and they will will enhance everyone's work-life balance while bringing savings and productivity gains for organisations of all types whether they are educational, business or governmental agencies. This sentiment is reflected by the 2031 research paper on telework based on their findings:
"In general, participants were positive about the future of telework from a productivity and wellbeing perspective and were of the opinion that managers need to understand the use and application of IT to better manage teleworkers. It was clear that the notion of office work is changing with work becoming continuously more fluid and mobile in terms of time and space. One of the participants commented as follows:
"I believe it’s the way of the future, but managers need to understand and use technology in order to manage telework effectively. Work is now highly mobile, changing all the time, and more and more workers want flexibility in their jobs. Management needs to recognize this. But I think that telework success depends on workers being self-motivated, self-disciplined and self-driven. Project Manager, NetworkCo (company name changed for privacy)"
So I think with the level of technology and the need for human interaction I think hybrid work style is here as a leading work style now and in the future.
If you are in a leadership role and haven't already looked at it check out the book Work from anywhere by Darren & Allison Hill as it will give you a more detailed explanation and ideas on how to implement work from anywhere policies in your business.
Bright future
Imagine one day working from the moon base, the spending some time in Earth orbit and then meeting some of your staff on Tahitian islands and then adjusting some data while staying in an underwater hotel in the Caribbean.
I think it only brings a universe of possibilities and humans and animals have always worked from anywhere.
I think in the future we will work from anywhere and meet anywhere for human contact so the transitory need to work from an office half the time will be not necessary.
Pushbacks and Reversals of WFA Policies
I still strongly think that work from anywhere is the future but pushback from management and government to support centralised businesses who provide food and drink to centralised workplaces will move back to the suburbs and provide great food and drink to workers working from home and anywhere.
There will also be those who in management of companies put their head in the sand and go back to old ways and get everyone back into their office. But I think those businesses will start to decline because nobody will want to work in a place where the best way of working is in place. That is not to say that everyone should be working from anywhere. In fact, some roles require in person and in the office, but those that work better remotely.... If you force them to go to the office, they'll just go to your competitor who allows it. Consider that before establishing such policies.
But make no mistake that work from anywhere work style is also beneficial during pandemics and global disasters and according to scientists these things will only increase. So why not seriously consider getting rid of that office and working from anywhere with your staff eg: working from home half the time and working from a local workspace or restaurant upper room or vineyard function room the other time as teams. All that money spent on expensive centralised offices is going to waste.
I compromise though and am happy with most businesses going for hybrid as a transition. And yes some customer facing businesses will need centralised locations to service communities.
Edit 8/01/2025: But interestingly, in recent years, the development of artificial intelligence tools can allow you to come up with new and novel ideas on how to implement work from anywhere or hybrid or work from home options for your staff who work better remotely and can do so. So please don't put your head in the sand. Just remember, what would Jean Luc Picard or Janeway do when implementing remote work in the business?
So hybrid and office only work styles are here to stay and nobody can do nothing lasting about it!
In another blog I will explore the changes in manufacturing of the future - since that's a place that is commonly centralised.
In meantime stay safe and work from anywhere!
Michael
References
