Although it may seem new since the pandemic, remote working has been around since the 1960s when approximately 4.7 million Americans worked from home. Those numbers fluctuated between 1960 and 2020 (never dipping below 2.2 or rising above 4.7 million) when things took a dramatic shift once the pandemic hit. As of 2021, it's estimated that more than 27.6 million Americans call home their place of employment.

Before the pandemic, which normalized work-from-home scenarios, so-called freelancers were often viewed with considerable skepticism. Seen as lacking in professionalism and productivity, the cliechéd belief was that freelancers showed up to work in their PJs and goofed off all day.

Many in the gig economy have long argued that their productivity is higher due to reduced stress due to a shorter commute, less oversight and office politics. Absent those factors, people can do what they're paid to do and, moreover, strike that much-coveted but often elusive work-life balance.

For better or for worse, the pandemic changed how we work and even live. Indeed, working from home offers flexibility that commuting to an office doesn't. However, it also comes with some unforeseen challenges, such as isolation topping the list.

Adapting to a large portion of the team working remotely (sometimes in different countries), organization leaders manage their team members' productivity differently than when their team members were in an office or a cubicle away. Among the differences is managing and fostering emotional resilience.

Related: How to Keep Motivation High in an Asynchronous Workplace

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