# Remote working during COVID: a successful social experiment Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-07-18 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: How Mobius Labs Successfully Transitioned to Remote Work Meta Description: Discover how Mobius Labs adapted to a fully virtual work environment amidst the pandemic, focusing on team communication, trust, and brand building. URL: https://financedigest.com/remote-working-during-covid-a-successful-social-experimenthtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/img8264-1428-1-1736838166457-compressed.jpg) By: **Trisha Manda** As I’m writing this article, sitting in my living-room-turned-study, I wonder how different our work culture would have been today had the pandemic never happened. WhenCOVID cases started rising in March 2020 and it was evident that this presented severe health risks, Mobius Labs pivoted to a completely remote working culture. In fact, we were one of the first [companies in Berlin to become a fully virtual organisation as cases](https://www.financedigest.com/finance-industry-one-court-case-away-claims-management-company-onslaught-quadient-warns.html "Finance Industry Is “One Court Case Away” from Claims Management Company Onslaught, Quadient Warns") rose dramatically. Our [head of marketing said that we had to figure out how to build relationships with potential customers and our audience in a purely digital way](https://www.financedigest.com/five-ways-to-keep-your-head-above-water-while-working-from-home.html "Five ways to keep your head above water while working from home"). That can be quite challenging, especially for a startup, because the [digital environment that we had at that point was not necessarily mature enough for this approach](https://www.financedigest.com/as-banks-become-more-digital-customer-satisfaction-calls-for-a-robust-approach.html "As banks become more digital, customer satisfaction calls for a robust approach"). . The newly formed marketing team that was just two [weeks old at the time took up the challenge and ensured that the company](https://www.financedigest.com/spain-offers-to-pay-companies-testing-a-4-day-work-week.html "Spain offers to pay companies testing a 4-day work week") matured in terms of its visual identity, language of the brand and overall online brand awareness. This meant building on the company values in a way that the audience could trust, [differentiating ourselves from the competition](https://www.financedigest.com/how-music-sound-can-help-financial-brands-differentiate-in-a-competitive-world.html "How Music & Sound Can Help Financial Brands Differentiate in a Competitive World") with respect to the way we communicate and choosing to not delve into controversial use cases of our technology that could potentially put human rights in danger. Trying to reflect our innovation, reputation and leadership through our visual identity was key – all aspects that people look at when [working with a technology](https://www.financedigest.com/how-collaboration-technologies-are-helping-organisations-to-embrace-a-hybrid-working-model.html "How collaboration technologies are helping organisations to embrace a hybrid working model") partner. The [key to making this work](https://www.financedigest.com/disadvantages-key-challenges-to-overcome-when-working-from-home.html "Disadvantages – key challenges to overcome when working from home") was to have efficient communication and trust between the team members, no matter where each of us were working . Allowing more freedom to colleagues, and empowering [every team member to not only own their area of expertise but also to evolve in this area by ensuring that we give](https://www.financedigest.com/legislate-raises-3-6m-to-give-startups-smes-the-technology-to-query-and-compare-every-contract.html "Legislate raises .6M to give startups & SMEs the technology to query and compare every contract") each of them the right tools and enough flexibility was imperative. That also came with building in regular [meetings and catch-ups so that we had a feedback mechanism and can work](https://www.financedigest.com/despite-return-to-work-virtual-meetings-will-continue-to-disrupt-business-as-usual-in-finance.html "Despite Return to Work, Virtual Meetings Will Continue to Disrupt Business as Usual in Finance") in sync. Establishing these robust online processes helped the company [grow both in terms of the team structure and annual revenue](https://www.financedigest.com/revenue-growth-of-the-exterior-car-accessories-market-to-be-influenced-by-growing-end-use-adoption.html "Revenue Growth of the Exterior Car Accessories Market to be Influenced by Growing End-use Adoption"), even during a time when in-person events, conferences and interviews were all cancelled. By the end of 2020, our headcount grew from 18 to 28. We also [reached the target of €1 million](https://www.financedigest.com/nucleus-vision-reaches-40-million-fundraising-hard-cap.html "Nucleus Vision Reaches Million Fundraising Hard Cap") ARR. Productivity was not affected during the pandemic evident from the increasingly complex [products that we developed during this period](https://www.financedigest.com/innovation-at-periodic-intervals-to-upscale-the-effervescent-products-market.html "Innovation at periodic intervals to upscale the Effervescent Products Market"). The only aspect of work culture that really suffered was the [social relationships between colleagues which obviously develops when you see](https://www.financedigest.com/twitter-social-platforms-could-see-spike-in-election-misinformation.html "Twitter, social platforms could see spike in election misinformation") each other in-person, on a daily basis. Social online activities did take place, and sometimes personal [meetings between colleagues were also held](https://www.financedigest.com/emvcos-2017-emv-user-meeting-to-be-held-in-vietnam.html "EMVCo’s 2017 EMV User Meeting to be Held in Vietnam") when the situation permitted it. What has been missed the most is the coffee-machine-conversations when you bump into people you work with daily, and also into [members from other teams](https://www.financedigest.com/why-now-is-the-time-to-implement-a-time-saving-business-model-encouraging-team-members-to-discuss-their-challenges.html "Why now is the time to implement a time saving business model, encouraging team members to discuss their challenges"), and have quick but consistent contact with peers you wouldn’t always talk to on a day to day basis otherwise. In hindsight, the pandemic made it [clear that the very corporate](https://www.financedigest.com/clearing-out-your-garage-benefiting-from-corporate-simplification-2.html "Clearing Out Your Garage – Benefiting from Corporate Simplification "), 9-5 work culture that existed pre-COVID is not necessarily the only healthy and productive one. Moving forward, we want to go to the office to simply interact with our colleagues, and at the same time bring [remote working](https://www.financedigest.com/7-tips-for-building-a-positive-remote-work-culture.html "7 tips for building a positive remote work culture") to the forefront of our HR values. This means finding a [way to become](https://www.financedigest.com/ways-to-become-a-millionaire.html "Ways to become a millionaire") global citizens, accessing the best talents in the world and bringing in different perspectives to challenge the norm. We [believe in giving everyone the chance to prove that we can work](https://www.financedigest.com/1-in-5-uk-workers-believe-there-is-a-gender-divide-with-work-uniforms.html " 1 in 5 UK workers believe there is a gender divide with work uniforms") together and innovate even from different locations, proven by how effective this was over the pandemic. [Digital solutions have made social life](https://www.financedigest.com/for-refugees-in-cameroon-digital-ids-are-a-life-changer.html "For refugees in Cameroon, digital IDs are a life changer") easier in a post-COVID scenario. If we didn’t have [video conferencing](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-create-the-perfect-video-conferencing-space.html "How to create the perfect Video Conferencing space"), for instance, we would be worse off today. What became apparent is that people were forced to adopt [digital technology](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-technology-and-startups-during-a-recession-how-to-stay-afloat.html "Digital Technology and Startups During a Recession — How to Stay Afloat") faster during the pandemic. [Industries and societies that were not used to leveraging digital](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-transformation-across-the-banking-industry.html "Digital transformation across the banking industry") tools had to implement them very quickly. In light of this, discussing [technology’s social impact in an open](https://www.financedigest.com/qib-uk-plc-selects-volante-technologies-psd2-open-banking-solution.html "QIB (UK) plc selects Volante Technologies’ PSD2 Open Banking solution") conversation becomes even more relevant. We believe in the positive influence that [technology and innovation](https://www.financedigest.com/innovative-apps-to-foster-the-growth-of-gene-editing-technologies-market.html "Innovative apps to foster the growth of Gene Editing Technologies Market") can have on society, and our aim is to reflect the same through our company values and working culture. About Author: Trisha Mandal [manages all things](https://www.financedigest.com/iomt-internet-of-medical-things-to-accelerate-the-pancreatic-and-bile-duct-stone-management-market.html "IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) to accelerate the Pancreatic And Bile Duct Stone Management Market") related to content and communications at Mobius Labs. She recently completed a Master’s degree from Humboldt Universität, Berlin and now [spends all her time](https://www.financedigest.com/office-workers-waste-more-time-on-slow-tech-than-they-spend-on-holiday.html "Office Workers Waste More Time on Slow Tech Than They Spend on Holiday") writing, reading, film photography-ing and taking care of her very moody Westie named Fubi. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---