Has remote working affected knowledge sharing?
During the past two years, the Covid-19 pandemic forced many of us to change our ways of working. It not only thrust us into adapting our homes and mindsets to the idea of working remotely, but also into the unknown of what the future may look like. For membership bodies, there was a sudden shift in developing more virtual content and increasing their online presence in the face of a fast-changing environment. Although many adapted well, it certainly threw into question how effectively they could communicate with their members and share knowledge and information most freely.
On the one hand, the expansion in online service delivery, conferencing and webinars has provided the opportunity to reach more members and non-members globally. The ease of accessing information online as well as the opportunity to network has been a major benefit, reducing the cost, time and travel associated with attending events in person.
On the other hand, members who were used to working in an office environment were previously able to exchange information much more freely with colleagues on a daily basis. Traditional company membership, for example, would often mean employees “shared” the membership and the hard copy resources available to the department. Remote working removed that tangible exchange, and those who fell under the umbrella of company membership could also be removed from membership itself.
Although now members may be keen to detach themselves from the home office and get back into the traditional office environment, remote working continues to be appealing whether as a full-time or part-time approach. With potentially limited access to information for some members, there is an opportunity to really emphasise the membership organisation as the “go to” place for all resources in their chosen field. We know from speaking with members regularly that the ability to both gain and share additional knowledge, is still a real draw for joining and maintaining membership.
As we move into a more virtual world, surely this major benefit of membership can only improve with the speed at which information is delivered, how it is delivered and how far it can reach. But, one-size does not fit all, and it is still as important to understand how best to exchange information with members and by what means.
Differing personas, lifestyles, and career paths all influence the membership journey and the delivery of membership services, communication, and effective member engagement. Remote working in some form is here to stay, and membership organisations have to take into account its influence on the mutual membership journey.
Copyright Hall Associates Europe 2022