We recently wrapped up our work-from-office week, which was all about meetings, work, and a lot of fun. Since many of us have been working from home for a good two years, experiencing office life all over again was a welcome change. It was a happy reminder of the good old days. But it also taught us some key lessons we didn’t know we needed.
So here are the four key learnings from our work from office week that we have curated after connecting with everyone :
1.) The power of knowledge transfer
When we work remotely, everyone is focused on doing their tasks and has less scope to tap into other team members’ unique knowledge base.
But as we worked together in the office, we realized how easily knowledge flowed within the teams and across cross-functional teams without extra effort. Even the spontaneous chat sessions during the lunch or coffee break led to a lot of sharing and crucial learnings and lightbulb moments. It made us understand various aspects of the same project that weren’t apparent to us otherwise. Knowledge sharing helped us find better ways to accomplish a task.
Many of our employees from the development team got to learn new technologies and tools such as GraphQL (an open-source data query and manipulation language), TestFlight (an online service that helps mobile test apps), creating mircoservices, and the parallax effect. It helped them in breaking the silos, understand what each team is doing and broaden their technical skill set.
2.) Good communication is the core of efficient teamwork
When all our employees worked in the same workspace, there were a lot of in-person team meetings and brainstorming sessions. If someone was stuck somewhere or had a mental block, they always had the option to resolve it right away because their team was right there. The ease of communication made processes faster, which was often a challenge in a remote setup.
Also, we organized interesting team building games and activities that led to some friendly banter, further strengthening team bonding. The employees got to know each other beyond work, which helped them overcome unwanted hesitance. Everyone also got the chance to meet cross-functional teams and understand what they do and how each team plays a crucial role in contributing to the organization’s bigger vision.
3.) Understanding the company’s vision help establish the right work mindset
As Tecstub has been expanding at a phenomenal pace, there have been a lot of internal developments. But most of the employees didn’t get the chance to get acquainted with the latest advancements. The office week involved several town hall meetings and presentations from various departments and clients that gave employees a better understanding of where Tecstub is heading, the expectations of the clients, and a roadmap of the future. It made them understand how their efforts can contribute to the bigger picture. When employees deeply connect with the company’s vision and goals, it helps them align themselves and understand the value of their work.
4.) Meeting cross-cultural people broadens your vision
One of Tecstub’s core values is promoting inclusion and diversity in the workplace. Our teams are a mix of individuals from different backgrounds and cultures. So, during the work-from-office week, everyone got a chance to meet people from all around India and understand their unique perspectives and cultures. The cross-cultural conversations were often the funniest highlight of the day, where expressions and emotions spoke more than words.
As we come to the end of the blog , we would like to add that working remotely is always great, but when you sit with your colleagues beside you, the work becomes fun, and learning becomes effortless. Also, it instills a sense of belonging and makes you feel more connected with your team and other people in the organization. Interestingly, when we asked our employees if they would like more such workation weeks, the response was a 100% yes!!!
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