To commit or not to commit
In the past few years, the sense of community has changed radically. We may be sitting next to each other, yet we are constantly hyper-connected to the outside world with our devices. Social networks, email, WhatsApp, and Slack: it seems that everything one may need today is digital and digitally connected. Video calling a colleague in Melbourne while you're in London is as incredible as it sounds, being able to reach your family with a chat while travelling is just perfect, and taking part in a team meeting while at home is convenient for most people.
But living a life fully remote may not always be rosy.
Human beings are social animals, we are not meant to be alone or to have no contact with others, be they friends, family or colleagues.
While work is increasingly taking place outside conventional organizational contexts, hybrid and remote working is becoming a new regular way of doing things, and living afar comes with a new sense of loneliness and togetherness, we are learning how it may make one feel disconnected, distant, and detached. We are experiencing a new virtual sense of connection and, community and, therefore, a new nature of commitment. It is a new territory we need to explore and understand as it brings many new potentials and incognita in life and in the workplace.
So, how should we handle this digital revolution we are living in? What possibility can we have now that we can live and work remotely?
Let's take one step at a time: what is commitment? And then, what is commitment in the workplace?
If you ask the Cambridge Dictionary is "a promise or firm decision to do something". As easy as it sounds, commitment is a pillar of human social life, it is a mindset that directs behaviour.
Applied to the workplace, it essentially has the same meaning: it makes cooperation possible and facilitates the planning and coordination of collective actions.
Moreover, commitment enables collaboration by making individuals keen to contribute to common activities. And when one feels committed to something, the sense of community and engagement grows.
But how do we recreate that sense of community and commitment we used to have in person, with friends or in the office?
In today's scenario, physical disconnection is the enemy - and there is where technology comes in handy. It does not solve the problem on its own, it is not sufficient. Indeed, if abused or misapplied, it can be counterproductive and damaging, but it is the doorway to a new potential for contemporary society.
To recreate that sense of commitment and participation and discover the possibility that living and working remotely offers us, the turning point is a shift in the corporate culture.
It must be new, fresh, up-to-date, current, forward-looking, and flexible.
A new sense of belonging is needed to maintain a strong commitment.
Everyone has to feel necessary to the working ecosystem. We are part of a team. Always. No one is running solo. No one succeeds alone.
Thriving organizations are not the mere result of a genius CEO but rather the collective effort of their employees - that eventually follow, with a conscious leadership, the genius CEO.
Malcolm Gladwell, the Canadian sociologist and journalist, argued that "it's tough to feel necessary when you're physically disconnected".
We think instead that as long as employees, collaborators, and freelancers are trusted to manage their workflow and are supported in their challenges by the company, remote and hybrid work are not the issue at hand.
The disconnection happens when people are not involved in the company's mission and values, and therefore do not feel that sense of drive and belonging.
We all need to adapt, and organizations must find new approaches to maintaining the organizational culture flow they used to have.
Building relationships, sharing views and making professional and personal familiarity in face-to-face environments is easier and more natural, but one thing does not rule out the other: engaging virtual employees and collaborators requires a different approach, a push towards trust, respect, and open communication.
We need to be intentional in what we do and how we do it and promote a more purposeful work environment.
Then we'll get the commitment we are all looking for.
(Photo by Tim Mossholder / Unsplash)