Episode: 222

Episode Title: It’s the People Not the Place

Can a strong workplace culture only happen in the office, or can it be achieved remotely? Let’s talk about it, coming up next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 222 show:

You are now in The Perna Syndicate—welcome! After 2020’s massive work-from-home experiment, how and where we do our work will never be the same again. After a bumpy start, employers and employees alike realized that this whole remote work thing could actually—well—work. 

At first we all longed to get back to normal. But as we learned and adapted, we saw the flexibility, productivity, and work-life blend that remote work can offer. Slowly over the past year, organizations that went virtual fostered a work culture where people connected through screens.

This was a huge adjustment for many leaders, who simply couldn’t imagine real rapport being built when people were so distant from one another. But a thriving workplace culture is so much more than just proximity. 

Becky Frankiewicz, president of ManpowerGroup North America, defines culture simply as: how we do things around here. She says it’s the sum of default behaviors, preferences, values, and decisions that make each organization a unique habitat. None of these things are dependent on whether people sit in an office to do their work or not.

One of 2020’s many lessons for the world of work was that workplace culture is about people, not location. My own company is a perfect example of this. Our video meetings are the highlight of my week. It’s about the people, not the place.

When an organization embraces that reality, it’s on the way to creating a more flexible and people-centered culture. 

Tomorrow on The Perna Syndicate, we’re going to talk about the value of results over what’s now being called “presenteeism.” Don’t miss it! We’ll see you then.