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Collaboration, remote collaboration to be specific, is the need of the day.
The globalization in the last few decades has brought the world together. It has also globalized the problems faced by us. Our struggles are not limited to our area, country, or region anymore. We are now part of a much bigger and extensive global village.
So, when facing a problem in the future, the impact of our decisions cannot be restricted to our area only. We need to have some sort of communication with people across the world working on the same goal as us.
Take the example of Covid-19, originating in Wuhan, now its current epicenter is in the USA. Within two months of the first reported case, what set out to be a problem for China has become a worldwide problem.
This whole, COVID- 19, episode has widened the perspective of what globalization means and the need for a collaborative expert model is now more than ever.
What is remote collaboration?
Remote collaboration involves a team that is not limited by their geographical location. In such a collaboration, people around the globe meet a shared goal. This enhances productivity and the efficiency of the team. It also results in an increase in the collective knowledge of the team.
Examples of remote collaboration
Before we move to the impact of remote collaboration on the future, we need to acknowledge the past. Following are s some of the greatest examples of this kind of collaboration in history:
1. The Human Genome Project. The full sequencing of the human genome took 13 years and collaboration of 18 countries. It gave us a genetic blueprint of an average human being. This remote collaboration changed the way we understand the human body.
Today you can get a full human genome sequence in a day and costs only a part of the original price.
2. European council of nuclear research (CERN) is another example. The collaborative expert model was used to collect data from Italy, France and Denmark where scientists worked together. They shared ideas, knowledge, and costs of the research.
As a result, today Europe dominates over the field of particle physics. Together, they were able to run the longest successful collaboration in scientific history.
Not only that, but CERN is also responsible for the biggest collaboration tool to date. You might have heard about the tool known as WORLDWIDE WEB!!
3. LIGO scientific collaboration (LSC) involved scientists from across the globe working together. The collaboration led to the detection of cosmic gravitational waves. LSC currently has 1.167 members. Their bases are in 103 institutions located across 18 different countries.
How will remote collaboration impact the future
Only a few years ago, collaboration meant the whole office working together as a team under the same roof. Things have changed now! Especially in the ‘post-corona’ future, we can see remote collaboration picking up pace already.
This transformation of work dynamics is not only inevitable but also beneficial.
So what are the advantages remote collaboration will bring:
1. An increase in diversity will lead to creativity:
People from different parts of the world will bring diverse ideas to the table. Having experienced different socio-economic issues will allow diversity.
A combination of various skills and contrasting environments will lead to innovative ideas. This will allow us to observe problems with new angles.
Engaging activities, such as brainstorming, may result in out-of-the-box solutions.
2. Increase in productivity:
Remote collaboration allows temporal flexibility. This means teamwork could go on at any time of the day.
This will lead to an increase in productivity since the team will be working round the clock.
3. Flexibility:
A different perspective will allow project directions to be more flexible. The remote collaboration will allow more room for adaptation. Coming from diverse socio-economic backgrounds will increase the chances of divergent perspectives.
In this situation, “the open to change” attitude of remote collaboration will come in handy.
“My idea is the best, so we have to go with it.” will not apply in such collaborations.
Mutual respect will allow different perspectives to be heard. Implementation of new ideas will lead to an outcome that is best for the shared goal.
4. Increased Learning:
Working in collaboration will also increase the chances of learning. Employees will be working with members from different fields. They will be getting exposure to a skillset outside their domains.
They will experience new working ways.
Cross collaboration may open possibilities for people to pursue a new field. This will improve employees’ value due to the enhancement of their skillsets.
5. Inspiration for team members:
Remote collaboration will allow more freedom and empowerment to the employees. It will flatten out the hierarchy.
Curious individuals will get the chance to explore new business strategies. It will result in the empowerment of individuals. Diversity will challenge their existing point of view.
It will inspire team members to come up with an innovative solution. Experimenting with different ways of approaching things will have a positive impact. It will result in unexpected and inspiring contributions.
Conclusion:
The remote collaboration is the future of offices and workplaces. It provides higher satisfaction and a better outcome for everyone involved. Increased creativity and productivity will attract this collaborative expert model.
The remote collaboration will lead to a more diverse and positive working environment.
There will be different, more complex problems arising in this world in the future. The above-discussed factors will result in more innovative, inclusive, and flexible solutions.