How is the work atmosphere/environment going to change once we move back to going to the office?
Divya
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Lauren Proctor@laurenproctor32
I went back to my office in NYC and I don't know what it is, but people forgot volume control. Everyone is yelling on Zoom as if they were talking on cell phones in the 90's.
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For me only for better - face to face contact with other team members, possible to get instant contact ASAP as they appear in sight instead as they writeback or callback, small talks during coffee breaks and so on
@jan_mazurek Yes, Have you been happier coming back to office? Is the work life balance good now? :)
@divyamundhra Yes I was! When I am at home I can not focus on my work fully - there is a full fridge of snacks, my daughter is asking if I have a free moment now to play, and so...
@divyamundhra snacks were problem not only for me. When first wave of pandemy appeared in Poland we all freaked out - I was not the only one who made great shopings in order to saty away from shops as long as possible. I ate half of sausage at first day. One of my female colegous had a same issue with a cake
I'm not sure we'll go back into the office FT.
Since lockdowns started here in the UK our team has diversified and we're now spread across 300 miles of the UK.. and NL, PL, and AU... I don't see how we can go back?
Is anyone else planning to stay remote?
@jimbomorrison Are you planning to WFH forever now? I think we will be going to work in the office once the vaccination drive is complete.
@divyamundhra really not sure. Kinda up to my team... we’ll probably do some café days together and away-days where we can try to all get together but I can’t see us having an office .. not sure how it would work...
@jimbomorrison Yes, That makes sense. Sticking to just WFH is also not what I am looking for, but this seems like a nice idea, Cafe days, Away days, WFH days. XD
@divyamundhra Yeah - it's definitely not healthy to always be stuck in the same place. 🙌
Like @jan_mazurek mentioned, some people miss social interactions such as face to face contact, small talks, tea times, etc.
But I guess even we go back to our commute, we'll keep using online collaboration tools that's already used to it.
@borawork @divyamundhra yes - online tools used to make some things shorter, faster and smarter even before pandemy
@jan_mazurek @borawork My company has a weekly coffee chat. We are randomly assigned a person and can not discuss work. It is pretty popular but obviously not a complete replacement for personal interaction. All the same, it is nice to speak to different departments and an hour passes quickly.
I definitely see the future needing to be more flexible than ever. Especially in markets like Toronto, Canada where we're a growing city yet already have a major traffic issue and very poor public transportation. No matter where you live, you're facing a mind-numbing commute which can contribute to a host of health issues. The greater city area also becoming impossibly expensive to live.
Personally, it's a dream come true to have flexibility. I love the energy of being in the office, but I work better from home and love getting to workout in the morning.
@shesmaddie Yes Maddie,I feel the same. Flexibility is something that's going to be important now so that both the employers and the employees are contended. With the quality of work not being compromised , I don't see it as a problem too.
To me the change is that every team must now be remote first and that even though some people will return to the office, some others will prefer to work from home. To me the futur of office is the choice but with a remote first approach.
So I'd say that this progress will make people feel happier and less stressed.
For a while, it is going to feel weird when someone is either too close or puts out their hand to shake. Hugs will be awkward and even the accidental cough, might get our senses tingling.
In a way, it will not be all bad. It will be good to respect each other's private spaces (it is now a measurable distance) and the hygienic habits of sanitizing our hands regularly might pay off in the long run.
What this also means is that some of the racial tensions will rise. When suddenly someone brings food into a space that looks different or smells different, it will set of triggers as being unsafe.
There is a primal survival instinct that has been unleashed and it will take a while to put it back into the box and declare safe spaces. As an organization, if everyone is mindful of it, it will be easier to tackle.
The problem we are going to face in the short run is companies that have prematurely declared themselves "forever remote" with absolutely no infrastructure in place. Those who have gone hybrid are even worse off because those who are still dealing with a paranoid/cautious mind will choose to stay at home (or because they have kids and family that need them at home) and if the discussions and control center is at the office, people are going to fall behind. Most offices don't have a system of note-taking, and decisions being centrally put up and processes that ensure everyone is on the same page. So inevitably those who choose to spend more time in the offices will find themselves with more power than those working remotely. That will reflect in the next appraisal. This leads to the appraisal itself to be relooked at, which so far has been a popularity contest with the bosses, and now will have to be about actual work done.
But have we defined what work is, in the knowledge economy? In a lot of workplaces, we have activity masquerading as work.
@vijayanands That is such an apt and clear explanation of how things are going to change if half the people work remotely and a half from the office. I believe, there needs to be a more standard way of measuring the amount of work done by the employees so that the people working from offices are not the only ones going to be benefited.
We are back to the office since June, but only once or twice a week. Not sure we'll be fully back with a mon-fri presence. But we'll surely make the office a more friendly place :)
My office has transitioned to a very WFH focused model. I personally don't mind it!
@richardfliu Whatever that can help us be the most productive and give us our personal space too, I think that works :)
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It will get better and WFH output have been really promising
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I doubt the world will go back to a pre-pandemic era! Some might go to office, some my opt for Hybrid and WFH is here to stay for sure for many. It's time to change the way we look at things and how we can make remote work as productive as going to the office.