We’re in the heart of one of the most significant workplace reinventions our lifetime. Some companies have sent employees home for the rest of the year, and some have started a phased reopening. Through all this though, employees have proven they can be productive and do their work remote…but is it for the best.
We can work from home with some level of effectiveness. We can meet using technology platforms. We can stay connected to colleagues. We can perform our tasks. We can manage our work. We can do many things, but it’s just not the most ideal.
Like anything, working from home can be a challenge. Everyday tasks can become common struggles, and outside work factors play into our days. Whether its finding time to educate and care for children who would normally be at school, an inadequate home office, or every other little distraction that comes from working at home, things can get a little crazy.
The office simply cannot go away. It is necessary on multiple levels. The workplace offers an abundance of critical value—and it simply cannot—go away. Here are a few reasons why:
HUMANITY
Humanity. The office is critical to our need for human interaction. We are social creatures and we crave connections with other people—even at socially-distanced lengths. This may look different for each person, but at our core, we as humans crave some level of connection. The office space provides just that. Face-to-face communication and interaction improves our physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being.
PURPOSE and CULTURE
Purpose. The office also provides a critical sense of commonality. Successful companies understand that in order to generate powerful results, they must ensure people have a sense of aligned objectives. Employees must be rowing in the same direction and an office provides the boat. It will be especially difficult for companies to build a culture without having a space to bring people together.
MOVEMENT
Movement. Movement isn’t just limited to physical movement. We can also think of intellectual movement as part of the advantages an office provides. An office allows for physical movement—across the campus, between conference rooms, or passing by offices throughout the day. This is something the workplace offers better than home. Movement has also been correlated with enhanced memory and learning. Having a place to go gives you a greater sense of time management and accountability, thus enhancing productivity that many feel is diminished being (almost) exclusively at home.
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Sure, we can be relatively effective and productive working from home – but it’s not the most ideal working situation. Collaborating with other employees, especially for jobs that place a premium on company culture, is quite limited while working from home. The workplace has been a place for our businesses – and we must maintain it.
