<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/13nesrLaWgzmpMerp9GwNs?utm_source=generator&theme=0" width="100%" height="152" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>What a relief that I never have to partake in the dreaded 2 hour round-trip commute to and from the office anymore. Sweatpants and sweatshirts from here on out! Want to catch me on a Zoom call? Better not ask to cut the camera on. Better yet - why call? Let's just put this an email so not only can I avoid having to verbally talk to you, but now I don't even have to think about work for the half-hour we had blocked off for our call. Time for my 15th walk of the day!
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The benefits of working from home are many and not to be passed over. However, they are in fact very seldom passed over. Since the pandemic, the tone of the WFH conversation has been so heavily in favor of the benefits and lacking in the area of drawbacks.
I'm here to level the playing field.
Why Working From Home Is A Good Thing
One of the main advantages of working from home is the flexibility it offers. Remote workers have the freedom to create their own schedules (kind of), which allows them to better balance work and personal life. This also means that they can work during their most productive hours, whether that's early in the morning or late at night.
The problem with this is that most companies have ~unintentionally~ instilled a culture of feeling like your computer's status icon must constantly be "active" during the workday. A phenomenon equally loved and despised by Boomers and Gen Z'ers, respectively.
Another advantage of working from home is that there's no commute. This not only saves time but also money on transportation costs. Remote workers don't have to deal with the stress of rush-hour traffic or delays in public transportation.
My caveat here is that while I enjoy not having to fight through the flooded sea of Mercedes and BMWs that is the Dallas tollway - I miss being able to utilize the time at the beginning and end of my workday to call an old friend, catch up on sports radio, or listen to a good podcast. Maybe it's just me, though.
This next advantage is completely dependent on the person.
Working from home can be less distracting than working in an office. There are no interruptions from coworkers or office noise, which can help remote workers focus better on their tasks.
However, if you don't have a home office to seclude yourself to when others are home, this can be quite the opposite and pose more of a distraction than if you were to just go into the office yourself.
Lastly, working from home allows employees to create a workspace that suits their needs and preferences. This can lead to a more comfortable and personalized work environment, which can increase productivity and job satisfaction. Nothing to "debunk" this one...I tend to agree.
Why Working From Home Is A Drag
Working from home can be isolating, especially for those who are used to working in a team environment. Remote workers may miss the social interactions and sense of community that come with working in an office. To explain this further, let me explain a story from my personal experiences.
When I first started my career I was part of a large engagement team that consisted of about 30 people. Not incredibly uncommon for large-scale consulting engagements. Of these 30 team members, 15 probably lived locally and the other 15 were spread out all over the country. Every day there would be about 10 team members that would work together at the client site, the remaining local team members would commute to the office and the out of town folks would fly in Monday through Thursday.
This team dynamic allowed for a few things.
First, I was able to develop a personal relationship with each of my team members and learn about where there went to school, their hobbies, what types of food they liked, etc. Due to the out of town nature of many of our colleagues, we would often walk through downtown to a local food court and grab lunch together, further increasing our knowledge of and relationships with each other. Any anxiety or nervousness that employees would typically have when needing to communicate tasks or ask for help was unconsciously removed by our candid relationships with each other.
During busy times of the project, my managers would frequently be seen maneuvering around the office for different meetings and upon every trip back to their desk would stop in and ask how things were going and if they could lend a hand. Not only was this consistent in this manner, but the opposite was true also. Every time I would hit a snag in my work, I knew who on my team was skilled in the area I needed help with. I would simply grab my laptop, walk around the corner to their desk and say "hey, have a minute to help walk through this with me?"
Why do I share this story and how does it all somehow tie back to the drawbacks of working from home?
Because despite the fact that I had to wake up early, put on business casual attire and commute to and from the office - I was able to accelerate my growth and learning by interacting with my team members. Our team morale was higher, my personal motivation was greater, I was in a generally happier mood, and although I don't have the exact numbers... I'd venture a guess that our overall production was higher than when we got the dreaded call on March 13th, 2020 to go "pencils down" and work from home for the next 2 weeks.
2 weeks that would eventually turn into 2 years.
Now back to my remaining drawbacks of working from home.
Without the structure of an office environment, some remote workers may struggle to stay organized and motivated. This can lead to procrastination and lower productivity.
Additionally, there are blurred lines between work and personal life. When working from home, it can be challenging to separate work and play. Without a clear boundary, remote workers may find themselves working longer hours or being constantly distracted by personal tasks.
Lastly, remote workers rely heavily on technology to communicate and collaborate with colleagues. This can be a disadvantage if there are technical issues or if employees are not tech-savvy.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I'd like to give "kudos" to firms like mine that consistently push the envelope forward and strive to better the hybrid environment for employees.
However, be it that I may be in the minority, I am tired of talking to a screen. I'm sick of wearing my headphones for 10 hours a day. I want to shake hands, grab lunch, and share a laugh with colleagues. None of which are possible anymore due to our increasingly virtual world.
Be careful what you wish for, folks. There is a fine line between providing your employees flexibility and fostering a workforce of anti-social recluses.
Sure, I love to throw on my headphones, sit in front of my laptop and "grind" for a few hours on a technical task, but how do our leaders in the consulting world expect us to continue to grow in our ability to manifest and maintain client relationships without ever meeting any clients?
How do we grow our network, form genuine connections or develop up the corporate hierarchy if, at the end of the day, we spend the majority of our day mindlessly checking off tasks and sitting through meetings with unproportionately cropped headshots staring back at us?
We have work to do Corporate America. Without change happening soon, we will unknowingly create a generational stagnation in the workplace that encourages the worst types of behaviors in employees.
There is a peak I suspect we have recently surpassed that represents the maximum amount of productivity employees can have before they inevitably crash the chart and begin delivering below expectations.
For as it was once said "with great freedom comes great responsibility."
It's now time to see how responsible we are as a workforce.
Vin
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