Corona affects us all – especially at work. Almost all German knowledge workers are currently working from home. Obvious assumptions about how we used to get work done are suddenly overturned. Digitization was massively accelerated and we had to change faster than we were used to. But how will COVID-19 and the lockdown affect us? I would particularly like to go into the permanent and current virtual collaboration. I have a Study from Asana found , which surveyed over 13,000 knowledge workers worldwide. In this article, I draw exciting findings from the study and comment on them. Above all, I deal with new challenges and recommendations for action on the challenges. Reading tip: Digital workplace New challenges for virtual teams since COVID-19 So what are these new challenges since COVID-19, or rather: which challenges are now more noticeable than before? I think it can be summed up in one word:…

According to studies, meeting times have increased by a factor of 1.4 since the lockdown around COVID-19. So we sit in meetings much longer than before and since COVID-19 these have been almost exclusively virtual. From Zoom Meeting to Zoom Meeting – without a break – and we constantly look at the screen. It doesn’t seem to end and there isn’t even a 5 minute break between meetings. The zoom fatigue “Tomorrow I actually have video conferences all day – 9-10 am is the daily, then a meeting until 11 am and then a board meeting until 12 noon followed by a zoom lunch meeting. I don’t have a break in the afternoons either, and meetings continue until 5:30 p.m. ” Corona is increasing the frequency with which people take part in video and web conferences. In the quote, the person does not have a single minute of break from…

Web meetings are increasing significantly in times of Corona. No wonder that the share of the video telephony provider Zoom has risen by 110% since Corona. In one study, scientists examined numerous employees and noticed the following changes since Corona: The number of emails increases by a factor of 1.4Working days are 48 minutes longerNumber of meetings increases by 12.9%Number of participants in meetings increases by 13.5% The market share of video solutions is currently divided between three major players: Microsoft Teams (30%)Zoom (26%)Cisco (23%) The working days are also supposedly more cumbersome for employees according to their own information. According to a Berlin study 12% have already fallen asleep during a web meeting. In addition, 61 percent of the more than 1000 respondents questioned answer private emails parallel to the digital meeting. Webcam on or off? Science says: on! A big topic at meetings is the webcam. Should the…

Since COVID-19, we have been doing knowledge work mainly in the home office. While we used to be able to stand out in the real world with special clothing and strong appearance, it is now up to us to show this in virtual space as well. But how does it work? I would like to show you my personal equipment and especially focus on video and audio. My zoom workplace In addition to a normal desk to sit on, I myself also have an extra workstation to stand for important Zoom meetings. The advantage is that my vocal cords are not squeezed by the sitting posture and I can speak more freely. I also have an ergonomic mouse and keyboard and an anti-fatigue mat on the floor for fatigue after long periods of standing. Alternatively, I could raise my normal desk, but I like to change my position during the…

Corona is flattening out a bit and companies are diligently upgrading hardware and software in order to be able to work better remotely. Many of you are safely in the home office and for a large number this type of work is certainly new and you are now starting to set up a home office. I have been working regularly in the home office for 5 years. The first 2 years almost 100% in the home office and the last few years always 2 days a week. In the first few years in particular, I set up a dedicated home office and constantly improved it. I want to give you some insight in this article. I usually recommend having my own study (especially with family) but I live in a penthouse apartment with no doors, which is why I have a work alcove. Believe me: one day a week or…

Due to Corona, numerous companies have decided to send their employees 100% to the home office. The current situation should definitely continue until shortly after Easter 2020. But what happens after this time and how will the presence in the office develop over the next few years? I want to discuss my opinion on this in this article. Corona will continue for some time Since we will have to live with Corona for a few more years or further virus pandemics cannot be ruled out, we should continue to prepare for home office. Due to the current situation in particular, numerous companies have massively upgraded their remote technologies. Examples are chat systems, task management, file sharing and many more. Reading tip: Virtual team tools Balancing act between office and office The following was already suggested in my roundtable: One to two days of home office per week does not reduce…