By Abimbola Bello on Friday, October 25th, 2024 in General. No Comments
On Saturday, we hosted a webinar titled “The Changing Nature of Work: How Remote Work & Tech Are Shaping Work-Life Balance”. The event brought together insightful discussions from industry leaders about the evolving workplace, how remote work reshapes traditional work structures, and the balance between professional and personal life. The conversation was filled with practical tips, real-world challenges, and solutions for work-life harmony in the digital age.
Key Speakers & Takeaways
1. Olakunbi Oshin – EMEA HR Manager at Nexaya Technologies
Olakunbi Oshin opened the session by exploring the history of remote work. She pointed out that the concept dates back to 1973, long before the COVID-19 pandemic made it mainstream. She highlighted how the pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work, creating new job roles such as remote team leaders and virtual assistants.
However, not all industries, embraced remote work fully. Sectors like banking faced challenges due to the vast amount of sensitive information they handle and the lack of home-based technical infrastructure. Olakunbi also touched on other challenges, such as maintaining employee productivity, dealing with distractions at home, and finding ways to create personal connections with colleagues despite the distance.
One of the most memorable quotes from her session was, “If everyone decides to work remotely all over the world, it will take the human factor out of work and turn us into machines.” She emphasized the importance of balancing remote work with physical interactions to maintain team dynamics and personal relationships.
2. Tobechukwu Otuokere – Data Product Manager at AltSchool
Tobechukwu shared his experiences working both remotely and in-office, expressing his preference for a hybrid work model. He delved into the privacy concerns that come with remote work and how difficult it can be to draw a clear line between work and personal life. One of his key suggestions for overcoming this challenge was to make work more about the outcomes rather than just tracking the number of hours worked.
Tobechukwu also stressed the importance of effective communication, favoring calls over text-based communication to foster a more personal connection with colleagues. His practical productivity tips included waking up two hours before work to create a structured day, maintaining a to-do list, and prioritizing tasks. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of taking breaks to avoid burnout, an issue that is becoming more prevalent in a remote work setup. He also mentioned using techniques such as the Pomodoro technique to improve productivity.
3. Esther Jill – CRM Expert at PPG
As a strong advocate for remote work, Esther Jill provided a contrasting view to Tobechukwu, explaining why she prefers working 100% remotely. For her, the biggest advantage is the flexibility and visibility that remote work offers, allowing her to harmonize her professional and personal responsibilities more effectively.
Esther also shared her personal experience of transitioning to remote work, which was initially challenging. She overcame these difficulties by creating a dedicated workspace and organizing her day with a to-do list. In her closing remarks, she emphasized the importance of mental health and self-care, stating that achieving work-life balance means harmonizing work with life rather than treating it as two competing forces.
Audience Q&A Highlights
The webinar concluded with a Q&A session, where participants raised important questions that reflected the challenges many face in navigating remote work. Key questions included:
- How to set clear boundaries with employers regarding working outside of office hours?
- How can managers effectively oversee remote employees given their different personalities and needs?
- How to manage unavoidable distractions while working from home?
The Lasting Impact of Remote Work
The webinar lasted for 1 hour and 41 minutes, filled with in-depth discussions on the future of work. Each speaker brought their own experiences and insights, highlighting both the advantages and the challenges of remote work. From privacy concerns to the importance of physical interactions, this webinar really showed the ongoing evolution of work and its impact on work-life balance.
As remote work becomes more entrenched in today’s workforce, the need for clear strategies to maintain productivity, personal connections, and mental health has never been more critical. The discussion left us with much to ponder, especially on how technology continues to redefine the way we work and live.
This webinar was a call to action for organizations and individuals to rethink how they approach work in this new digital era. We thank everyone who participated and look forward to hosting more insightful conversations in future events.
Missed the Webinar?
If you couldn’t attend live, no worries! You can listen to the full recording of the webinar here.
Share your thoughts!
How are you adapting to remote work? What challenges have you faced in balancing your professional and personal life? Leave a comment below.
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