Remote Work
Can your people be effective in their living rooms?
Some people really do need to be in the workplace.
But do your people really need to be?
Some “established professionals” just feel like “real work” is done in the office, because it’s how it was done throughout all of our careers up to 2020. It doesn’t “feel” like they are really working if they are not in the office, and many of them have a nagging sense that their employees are just slacking off if the boss is not in the same building, walking through the rows of cubicles and sticking their head in at random times to check up on them.
But younger professionals have spent a measurable chunk of their professional lives doing remote work, and many of them prefer it. A significant number are more effective and efficient working without the noise and other distractions of an office environment.
Working remotely can save each person several hours of time each week by not commuting. It saves them the cost of gasoline. They save money on professional clothing, since they need fewer expensive outfits. They can let the dog out during the day and let the kids in after school. For some families, their commute is their largest contribution to climate change, so they also feel like they are better people by cutting back the damage they are doing to the environment.
Several people in our leadership classes have mentioned the frustration of commuting into the office and then spending the day just sitting at their desk on Teams or Zoom anyway, since their coworkers and clients are not in that same office. This was a waste of their time, and it can contribute to a decline in morale and productivity.
Some people always need to be in the workplace; some people never need to be. Most people will be at their most productive and effective when they have the flexibility to do in-person activities in person and everything else in the environment that THEY find most productive and effective.
What can you do to help each of your team members be at their best?
(image source: https://www.facebook.com/blissticket/photos/a.146957822918882/211946389753358/?type=3)