Yesterday morning the Radio 4 Today programme reported on some BBC commissioned research on this subject. You can find out more info here, but some noticebale headlines were as follows:
"70% of those polled predicted that workers would "never return to offices at the same rate".
The majority orf workers prefer to work at home full or part time
50% of senior managers though staying at home adverely affects creativity and collaboration
But only 38% of the general public think the same"
The arguments for and against digitally workng from home versus physically being in the same office seemed to focus on four themes which I've unpacked a little below.
Creativity - not been physically together means less creativity.
This might be true - but only for the people who are invited into the creative discussion in the first place. Lets face it, often in an office only certain people are allowed to input to meetings/conversation seeking creative ideas and solutions. The office admin is almost never invited to contribute to such discussion. Plus this focus on physical ='s better creativity seems to focus on the assumption below that ...
Relationship & team building - physically works better than digitally
At first glance this seems obvious - but maybe only if you are over 40. Watch any bunch of teenagers or twenty year olds out socially and its obvious they are very comfortable interacting with others digitally - and often do so even when with others physically. Or think about how many people using various "dating" apps to make contact with others and sus them out before investing time in a physical meeting.
Teaching others or learning with others physically - is better than digital learning
We've all being on really appalling physical training sessions where you watch the trainer read out what is on their slides. Or where you are asked to role play out various situations with an ill thought out brief and dynamic. Equally during lock down those of us having to using guided learning and assessment digital tools - for compliance or health and safety training - has seen how some of those digital tools amply illustrated that it can be too tick boxy in its approach.
Less commuting - means less knackered people
But only if bosses don't try and claim the saved time back - either by wanting the saved time to spent on longer work hours, or by threatening people with saalry cuts if they don't come in physically using an argument that their living costs are less so they don't need the "London! allowance. Hidden in all of this of course is the idea of being "present" been better - you have to be in the office to show commitment - even if your productivity is sometimes lower.
So what do you think?
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