The structure of remote shift work can take many different forms:
7 days on, 7 off.
14 on, 7 off.
21 on, 7 off.
We have been spending time learning, measuring, and building camp culture for workers who are on an in/out work schedule based around flying, or driving, in and out of camp for various stretches. Through our remote shift work focus, we have heard and captured stories of personal struggle, divorce, substance abuse, steroid use, and performance decreases at work that amount to massive financial cost.
Showing Up For People In Remote Shift Work
We consider this being a way that our work can really impact lives of many in a lot of ways.
By measuring and building work culture to improve:
- Relationships
- Self Care
- Performance
- Quality of life
We will help to alleviate:
1) Emotional wall building that leads to relationship struggles (divorce, abuse, etc)
2) Internal & External isolation that leads to mental health struggles
3) Lack of workplace commitment that leads to performance issues (lost time, injuries, distraction, employee disengagement)
Get Off Your High Horse, Your Culture Looks Similar To Remote Shift Work
The reality is that these things are not just impacting lives, wellness, and performance in the unique world of remote shift work.
You work in an office? You probably have seen work impact your relationships, mental health, and/or performance.
Work in education or healthcare? We know that you have because we’ve seen it in our own data.
Now it’s time to realize that most workplaces are experiencing those three things above. The remote shift work highlights many of those things in a bubble, but they are not unique to that style of work.
The reality is, they are present in many workplaces, and you’re probably lying to yourself if you don’t accept and address that.
How To Approach REAL CHANGE In Remote Shift Work & All Workplaces
The first step is to stop trying to build culture by hiring training based on gut feeling. Don’t get us wrong, experienced and trusted opinions do matter. It is time, however, to build based on data because (like the work of our GRW Project) it is possible to make data-based decisions.
The second step is to focus decision making, and training, on things that make real impact based on that behaviour data. It’s a waste of money, time, and human collateral to invest in culture in any other way. How do we know this? We know this because you’ve been doing this without proper culture data up to now and you’re still seeing problems in those three areas above.
The final step is to drive change with people who are truly invested in connecting with the people, stories, data, and culture where they are. Our founder was recently in work camp in Fort McMurray, Alberta in order to work on remote culture. In his time there, he had multiple people say something along the lines of,
“You’re the first CEO that I can remember ever being in this area and I’ve worked up here for 22 years.”
Resident at a work camp near Fort McMurray, AB in November 2021
That’s not okay. It’s not okay in remote shift work, it’s not okay in any work setting.
We have no significant financial investment in that area at this stage. But yet we have people on the ground, meeting people, listening, connecting, and trying to improve lives of employees and their families.
Without that authentic connection, all the other work is just fool’s gold.
That’s true whether you work in a downtown office, a hospital, a university, a sport team, or a remote work camp somewhere many have never been.
Go Make Change
Measure your culture. Build it using that data. And change lives with someone who also cares about your people and success.
Learn more about culture measurement and building using data at www.boostinnovation.io
