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Is it Time to Head Back to the Office?
Why Remote Work Has Increased A Lack of Engagement, And How to Fix It.
I have this daydream where I stand in front of a whiteboard and sketch out a diagram during a meeting at work.
I like to solve problems. Heck, I crave solving problems. And in this daydream, being in person makes solving problems easier because I can use all sorts of tricks, not the least of which is a whiteboard diagram, to capture the attention of my colleagues.
It doesn’t work on a Zoom call. People tend to zone out after 38 seconds. That may be generous. Two years into our work-from-home experiment, we may have subconsciously redefined meetings as scheduled check-out times.
When the meeting begins, everyone drifts off into boredom and fleeting thoughts, maybe even despair.
That sounds like a good case for returning to the office, where the big three Cs can thrive: creativity, collaboration, and congratulation. But working from home has actual, significant, and easily measurable benefits. A quick but not exhaustive list would include reduced traffic, extra hours in the day not spent commuting, easier focus time, and more overall employee satisfaction.
Shuttling everyone back to the office because working from home isn’t as electric…
