Focus on How, Not Where
I believe most of the debate about work today is focused on the wrong issue. Most of what I read in the media focuses on WHERE work is best done — whether from the home or the office.
In my experience, the more relevant and important question is how is the best work done.
And the answer to how is: it depends. Some work can and should be done alone, while other work is better suited to small groups or large teams. And, there are specific occasions when it is best to bring the entire company or organization together.
As for where work is best done…that also depends. For some, working alone at home is fine. For others, home is full of distractions, interruptions, and competing demands. For some, working from somewhere other than home is more conducive to creativity, productivity and personal effectiveness.
Here are a few of my learnings from more than 50 years of experience working across a wide range of businesses in different geographies and cultures around the world.
If I want to inculcate purpose or values, then I want the organization together in one place… to talk together about integrity and trust, ownership, leadership and winning
You cannot share your passion for improving the everyday lives of consumers over the phone or on the screen. It’s not the same as live, face-to-face, personal commitment to a shared purpose.
It’s impossible to experience the culture of a company unless you are in it, can experience it first hand, and can feel it for yourself alongside from others who live it.
It would be much more difficult to do a deal, consummate a merger, enter into an important partnership, or make an important sale without a face to face, personal relationship that builds mutual trust so necessary to success.
It would be difficult to build commitment and trust among teammates without quality time together to get to know each other. Part of being a good team member is playing your position and doing your job - consistently with excellence. The other part of being a good teammate is helping to make the team better as a whole.
In my experience, it’s particularly hard for a creative team, or a group working on a major new innovation, to do its work without getting together in person.
An innovative culture is open, connected and collaborative. It’s very difficult to demonstrate openness, really connect with other innovation team members and collaborate on a regular basis without some in person, team time.
Finally, so much of what a person learns at work is tacit knowledge — critical learning that results from observing and listening and ultimately understanding what others do, how and why, what others do that works and just as importantly what others do that doesn’t work.
Coaching and mentoring, teaching and training, can be done remotely over the phone and on the screen, but the most effective coaching and mentoring also involves some live, in-person, in-touch time together.
Our IQs are relatively fixed and don’t change much over a lifetime. In contrast, our EQ’s can continue to develop and improve with experience and practice. Self-awareness and self control, and more importantly empathy and social effectiveness skills can improve — but only with real person interactions. The kind that are available in the world of work with fellow employees, with customers and suppliers, with investors and partners and other stakeholders.
All of this work cannot be done effectively from home, nor can it be done working remotely alone. We need a hybrid approach.