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Kevin Morris, CEO, OCAD U CO
In the time of COVID-19, when business as usual has gone out the window, distributed work is having a big moment.
Most organizations have been forced to quickly familiarize themselves with practices and platforms to manage their employees remotely. Those more seasoned in distributed work need to continue leading their geographically dispersed workers in order to sustain their operations. All of these efforts are taking place amidst the pressures and uncertainties caused by a global pandemic.
To help leaders of design thinking and innovation organizations navigate how to lead virtual teams during these turbulent times, OCAD U CO has released Navigating innovation and learning in a world of distributed work. This comprehensive guide includes principles, tips and tools for following distributed work best practices.
“We’re seeing a massive and rapid evolution in how organizations are going about their work. COVID-19 is causing systemic and structural shifts that may continue over the long term, so organizations need to be prepared,” says Kevin Morris, CEO of OCAD U CO.
As the executive training studio for the university, OCAD U CO helps industry leaders solve business problems, and facilitates applied research projects between organizations and OCAD U faculty members. The studio has been conducting remote training for a few years, and as the public health crisis expanded, Morris and his small team quickly organized their expertise and resources into a handbook to help companies and institutions manage their distributed workforces.
The free guide covers how to make the shift to distributed work, with information on design principles for learning and facilitation, creating enjoyable distributed experiences, some essential tools of the trade, and conducting customer research while in distributed work mode. It is also useful to organizations further along the distributed work path that need to respond to fast-changing issues and/or to maintain the momentum of current projects. Two case studies show the efficacy of the distributed work model.
A key advantage of the guide is that its strategies are rooted in the creative problem-solving ethos and expertise of OCAD U, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design institution. It explains how to integrate out-of-the-box methods with business practices to empower teams to respond to challenges and pursue bigger opportunities.
“The folks best equipped to deal with a crisis like this are creatives—they are able to see new solutions and inspire others to tap their own inner creativity and sense of invention,” Morris says. “Design thinking that brings together different departments or disciplines for intense cooperation is critical to doing distributed work right.”