From great distress to great opportunity. The extraordinary situation caused by coronavirus worldwide is accelerating, more or less unconsciously - the process that will guide us into the work of the future.
Most people in China are in a kind of forced quarantine; US health centers claim the isolation may also include some US cities, while in Europe (Italy stands at the top) they are making accounts of the first days of an unknown emergency - the first consequences of this situation in the world of work is already concrete.
Various international conferences have been canceled or postponed, the travel sector has knelt down, and with it - in various countries - the hotel and tourism sector as well. The fear of coronavirus spreading around the world can accelerate the changes that are already taking place in the world of work.
During these weeks, primarily in China, videoconferencing has replaced meetings. A large proportion of employees (about 200 million people in China) are working from home. Many trips related to the marketing and sales sector have been canceled and replaced with signed distance contracts, resulting in more economical and less polluting. This story will affect the choices of the future - travel costs will be reduced. They will be discussed once companies realize that they can survive even without physically meeting potential customers. The process is already underway. Coronavirus will speed it up even further.
Coronavirus will reinforce the belief that workplaces need to change. Future jobs (not all, of course) will reduce the costs associated with trading real estate, as they will reduce the need for large offices. More intelligent jobs, smaller spaces are needed, as it is unlikely that all employees will come to the office on the same day. Your work desk will remain just a memory.
This process is happening in many large companies. And if, after a few weeks, the results show that smart working is not linked to a potential loss of productivity - it will become even more difficult - when all this is over - to prove that you need to go to the office every day.
In other words, fear of coronavirus can teach us a better way to work.
