Could the Covid-induced virtual world have been good for your career?

If you were lucky enough to hold on to your job during lockdown, research suggests the virtual world may have been good for your career. And the virtual corporation, once a theory, is here to stay.

On a Zoom call, the work landscape changed dramatically. Children wandered by as executives sat stoically attempting to remain focused on the task at hand; we were invited into the personal worlds of our colleagues and many a laugh was had as we all navigated this strange new world.

What changed more than anything was the physicality of the leadership hierarchy and research suggests this may have been good for your career.

Case studies conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) lab-bred humanyze suggest that from a human psychology perspective, the flat hierarchy unintentionally created by the zoom landscape gave lower-ranking employees more courage to speak up and share their opinions, insights and views.

With all members of a particular meeting occupying the same virtual space, the dynamic changed considerably.

“Many of the traditional trappings of leadership, such as the seat at the head of the table, disappear; screen real estate is the same for everyone,” an article on the research read.

“This shift in perspective encouraged junior people to speak up more often and made meetings more participatory.”

Humanyze data shows that vertical collaboration rose by 27 per cent during the pandemic.

Boston Consulting Group (BSG), another consulting firm specialising in transformational leadership and research, found that not only were there more opportunities for career growth during the pandemic in a corporate context, but that productivity rose.

The Virtual Organisation

Since the dawn of the industrial age, traditional hierarchies were necessary for productivity, due to the nature of society and economy.

The pyramid hierarchy we are all familiar with was first developed in the United States in the late 1800s and cemented in the 19th century with the advent of mass production. 

Industrial engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor’s book Principles of Scientific Management, introduced principles for designing and managing mass-production facilities.

These days, in the digital world and as we edge to a post-pandemic existence, research around the future of work is prolific and results all say the future of work is now. 

William Davidow and Michael Malone, authors of bestselling book on virtual management The Virtual Corporation say that virtual corporations are “central to the new business revolution”.

The authors explain virtual organisations represent structures that are motivated by specific market opportunities. Once the alliance has been formed and the opportunity has been exploited, partners may move on to new partnerships and alliances.

So for employees, opportunities abound. Task by task. One on-line collaborative project at a time.

Not only has your voice potentially been heard more widely, there are more opportunities for growth, diversified tasks and with working from home, more balance.