One of the most talked about trends over the last year has revolved around how and where we work: return-to-work, flex work, remote work policies, etc. In speaking with countless leaders and attending conference sessions over the past year, there are many opinions, thoughts, and theories to consider. However, the only consistent finding is that work from home doesn’t work for our field teams that build and manage the projects.

When determining the implementation of these policies, there are many factors for your organization to consider, both internally and externally.

While the construction industry can sometimes be “old school” in its thinking, this leads to the perspective that perhaps you need to see a person in an office or at a desk to be truly productive and part of the team. With a more “new school” perspective, it might not matter where you’re located — as long as you’re all productive and accountable. Does it really matter if everyone is in the office or not? How about our cultures? How will this affect our working relationships? How will we be able to continuously train our teams? Could there possibly be an effect on our clients and/or their satisfaction? All these questions are important considerations and unfortunately there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.

Let’s take it one step further and consider a few things. The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic caused many of us to immediately go into a remote work situation just to survive. Many organizations already had flex policies and remote work options in place along with the technology to support it. It was easier for these progressive organizations to jump right in and be productive, while it took others longer to get a remote setup for their teams.

Some people would argue that they were just as productive, if not more, during this period due to lack of distractions at the office — not to mention a stronger work-life balance. If it worked well during that time, then why not adopt it moving forward? Others would say that, while it was a good test of an organization’s infrastructure, it wasn’t meant to be permanent.

I can see both sides of the equation, and I’m not sure there is a right answer. I believe it comes down to your people and understanding that there will be pros and cons regardless of what decision you make. When an organization assesses those items, it needs to determine if the benefits to the team members and the organization make it stronger for the future. The definition of stronger has different meanings to each of us; however, as a leader within your company, keep your finger on the pulse of what is going on and if these changes would potentially promote an even stronger organization that’s built for the future.

In an industry where great people are extremely hard to come by, it challenged our leaders to think outside the box and really examine many different things, including work-life balance; company culture; and making sure we attract, train, and retain the best people.

Times have certainly changed, as have the needs of much of the workforce. I believe that regardless of their decisions, organizations that roll up their sleeves and take an honest look inside will find there are opportunities to continue evolving while maintaining company culture and keeping the best talent within your organizations creates the win-win we all strive for! I encourage you to Come Together with other leaders from around the country to learn what they are doing to continue to be successful and create that winning culture within their organizations. 

Copyright © 2022 by the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). All rights reserved. This article first appeared in November/December 2022 CFMA Building Profits magazine.