Leverage LIVE Online

Book excerpt: In an era where tools are not limiting, our challenge is to cultivate a productive LIVE online culture – the opportunity is to maximise the effectiveness of remote working and virtual learning. TRANSFORMATION is well underway As the global pandemic struck the world in 2020, organisations and individuals, managers and entrepreneurs quickly hopped online to manage, deliver and facilitate virtually what needed to get done. Gartner reported that 88% of organisations worldwide made it mandatory or encouraged their employees to work from home after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Furthermore, 97% of organisations immediately cancelled all work-related travel. We found new ways to work, collaborate, learn, consult and sell from a webcam. Many online interactions went well, and many others were awkward, confusing or overwhelmingly fatiguing. But everyone coped as best they could. LIVE ONLINE is now the long game As we grow and emerge from the pandemic there are all sorts of ‘new normal’ to be redefined and navigated. Gartner now reports that 74% of companies plan to shift some of their employees to remote working permanently. As the majority of people have been working from home for over a year now, business leaders have started to realise the many benefits of having a remote workforce. It’s all about LEVERAGE Leveraging this shift to ‘virtual’ and ‘work-from-anywhere’ is now a compelling focus. Leaders must overcome the disengagement, webcam fatigue and poorly prepared online meetings and virtual workshops. The challenge now is how to really engage with flair, interact meaningfully, maintain attention and raise commitment in the virtual LIVE online environment.