Reimagining Collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way we work, forcing organizations to embrace remote work at an unprecedented scale. In the absence of a full return to traditional office life, businesses must reconsider how workspaces function and how teams collaborate effectively. But beyond adapting to remote work, is there an opportunity to fundamentally transform the way we work together?

The Benefits of Remote Work

For many, working from home has been a welcome shift. The lack of a commute frees up valuable time, enabling greater flexibility and integration of personal and professional lives. A May 2020 Gallup survey found that 60% of U.S. employees working remotely would prefer to continue doing so even after restrictions are lifted. Organizations, too, have gained efficiencies—remote work removes geographic hiring constraints, reduces real estate costs, and exposes outdated processes that can now be streamlined.

The Hidden Costs of Virtual Work

Yet, remote work has drawbacks. Many employees experience isolation and blurred boundaries between work and home life. Leaders report that some workers are eager to return to the office, seeking fewer distractions and more social interaction.

From an organizational perspective, the erosion of informal relationships is a critical concern. In virtual settings, meetings tend to be strictly task-focused, leaving little room for the spontaneous interactions that foster collaboration and innovation. There are fewer hallway conversations, chance encounters, or casual lunches—small but vital moments that sustain corporate culture and social cohesion. It’s possible that organizations are currently relying on pre-pandemic social capital, but over time, the absence of in-person connections could weaken team dynamics and innovation.

The Future of Office Work

As offices reopen, will we return to business as usual, or has the nature of work changed permanently? While some level of in-office work will likely resume, the balance will tip further toward remote and hybrid models. Organizations that previously required in-office attendance may struggle to justify rigid policies now that remote work has proven effective.

However, hybrid work could create implicit hierarchies—those who can physically be present may gain advantages over remote colleagues. Addressing these disparities will be key to maintaining equity in the workplace.

Rethinking the Physical Office

The pandemic has prompted a reassessment of the office’s true purpose. Rather than defaulting to pre-pandemic norms, companies should reconsider how office space is used. The office of the future may be less about individual workstations and more about fostering in-person collaboration.

Instead of traditional desks and conference rooms, office spaces could evolve to include lounge areas for creative brainstorming, large rooms for system-wide discussions, and networking zones to facilitate relationship-building. The specific approach will depend on an organization’s culture and strategic goals, but the shift away from office-as-default is already underway.

Beyond Adaptation: A Transformation in Collaboration

Merely adapting to remote work isn’t enough—organizations must rethink how teams collaborate at a fundamental level. Even before the pandemic, companies struggled with inefficient meetings and outdated group dynamics. Common complaints included: “Too many meetings,” “Nothing gets decided,” and “I don’t have time to do real work.” Moving these ineffective systems to a virtual format only amplifies existing frustrations.

If we are not together in real life as often, we must become far more effective at surfacing and resolving the key issues related to collaboration, when we do come together face-to-face. Developing the relational intelligence to be able to surface and address these elephants in the room like this requires greater conversational depth, clarity, and alignment—skills that many organizations have yet to fully develop. The shift to remote and hybrid work makes it more important than ever to enhance conversational effectiveness, ensuring that when teams do meet, discussions are purposeful and transformative.

At Living Systems, we help teams develop collective intelligence—the ability to think, feel, and act as a cohesive whole. This deeper level of collaboration is essential for organizations navigating the new era of work. If your organization is simply transferring old habits to a virtual space, you’re missing a significant opportunity. Instead, now is the time to redesign collaboration for a new age—one where every interaction counts more than ever.

Want to find out more? Start the conversation to move your business forward by contacting us today.