On The Road Again
I hope the day never comes when I have to work out of my home. I felt that way 32 years ago when I really couldn’t afford to rent office space (but did) and my feelings haven’t changed. I need creative people around me. Not wash to throw in the dryer. So I find it interesting that just recently two female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies called employees back into the workplace with the goal of having “all hands on deck.” I’m with you, ladies.
There’s no question that telecommuting has its advantages.
No rush hour traffic.
Fewer interruptions when you’re trying to write or think.
A more casual, stress-free work environment.
The ability to throw wash in the dryer when the timer goes off…
But personally, I thrive on the stress, the interruptions, the interaction and the pace of a work environment. And as an employer, I’ve seen the difference first hand of work that is completed at home versus the office.
I can tell the difference.
Apparently so can CEOs Marissa Mayer from Yahoo! and Meg Whitman from Hewlett-Packard.
Last February, the head of Yahoo! HR sent out a memo to employees (YAHOO! PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION — DO NOT FORWARD) which was promptly forwarded to the media and dissected by the blogosphere.
It read, in part, “Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home. To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. “
In other words, starting in June, come in or go home (for good).
The employees were not happy.
“It’s outrageous and a morale killer,” fumed one telecommuter.
Last week Hewlett-Packard suggested rather than mandated that employees return to the Mothership.
In a way the company is revisiting That 70s Show when HP practiced something known as “management by walking around” (with the must-have acronym MBWA).
This ground breaking MBWA initiative required that high-powered executives and group directors physically walk around the office and talk to employees directly to get the pulse of the organization and hand out kudos as warranted. (Genius).
But it wasn’t long before the executives walked back around to their window offices and the employees were left pretty much adrift in the office pool.
Staggering real estate costs were the catalyst for HP’s Let’s Send Them All Home Movement which many companies are discovering is a tough perk to relinquish.
Experts weighing in on the issue contend that the argument really comes down to productivity versus collaboration.
I’m a visual thinker.
I see things finished before I actually start them.
I need to look at my TO DO list (also known as my brain) before I can comfortably start my day.
I need to look good to feel good to work efficiently and professionally.
I need to “see” things from other people’s perspective to bring life to my own ideas.
I can’t do any of the above at home alone in jeans and flip flops. Sorry, but it makes me feel and act like a slob and there are just too many distractions, real or imagined, sapping my concentration and making the day feel like a colossal waste. (I also can’t fix any of my computer problems; I need an IT staff nearby).
I do sympathize with the working Moms who will now have to figure out all those child care issues (been-there-don’t-know-how-I-did-that).
But there is something very rational about keeping ones work life and personal life separate.
Both deserve 100% commitment. But each in their own time, in their own place.
