30-Year-Old Conversations
We’ve all heard of déjà vu, that feeling of “haven’t I been here before? Heard that before? Done this before?” When it comes to the conversations people have with each other, we tend to talk about the same things over and over. I was reminded of this yesterday when I participated in a networking group discussion that turned to the “world of telework.”
Telework? Really? Did I fall asleep and wake up in 1991?
Often, I am an advocate of things that go against the “conventional wisdom,” those accepted ideas that are repeated over and over again until people start to believe that they are accurate, true, or (shudder!) a “best practice.” I do get wound up about these things because I feel a sense of urgency about the state of the world, and specifically, the state of our nonprofit profession.
We are having conversations about the virtual aspect of work as if it is brand new and brought on by the pandemic, when in fact, we were working virtually for years before that event. While the lockdown and the required “work from home” aspect brought this to our conscious consideration and to the forefront of our thoughts, we were already doing it and some policies regarding it were already in place.
Let’s look at some examples of what we were doing before the lockdown:
Working from the road on our own laptop or one provided by our employer
Working from home on weekends or in the evening on our own laptop or one provided by our employer
Working during vacation (just checking email!) on our own laptop or one provided by our employer
Using our mobile phone to check messages, send work-related texts, participate in conference calls or webinars
Using our tablets to check messages, send work-related texts, participate in conference calls or webinars
The pattern here is this: we were working virtually (or remotely if you like that term better) for years before the pandemic lockdown forced the issue. We have to live in the world we are in, and this requires recognizing and acknowledging the way the world is. The nonprofit profession has been hybrid for years whether it noted it or not.
An important question to consider is this: Is it really that different when you go to a hybrid or completely virtual organization? You still need personnel policies; you still need job descriptions that set expectations for performance; you still need to build a culture that supports individual and organizational success; you still need to serve your members; you still need to educate and train your volunteer leaders; and you still need insurance to protect the organization from liability.
Does moving to a virtual organization require different tactics, policies, and insurance? Yes, but these things are going to be unique to any organization based on their needs no matter the form of their organization. Whether hybrid or virtual, you need to create an organization that serves the needs of the members or other stakeholders and supports the team you build.
Let’s stop talking about virtual work as if it is new because it is not. In the year 2000, I visited Spain for vacation and what I remember most vividly is this: people everywhere were working everywhere BUT the office. I said to myself, “Someday, I will work like this.” Three years later, I shifted to virtual work and have never looked back. In today’s world, it’s the way things are. I saw what was happening in the world and embraced it.
Digital Nomads is not the name of a band. It’s increasingly how we live.
