Is Remote Work Still a Good Idea for You?
For over two years, many professionals have been working remote. And lots of them have embraced that opportunity, avoiding tiring and expensive commutes, having more time away from an office environment, and enjoying work flexibility. But as Covid-imposed restrictions have receded, and some companies have seen employees returning to the workplace, should you keep working remote even if your employer allows it?
To think about whether working remote – full-time, a few days each week, or even one day per week – is right for you, consider a few issues and how they might apply to you, your role and your current employer:
Where are you most productive?
If you benefit from a quiet working environment, are you more likely to achieve that working remote or in the office? Even without children or others at home during the working day, some people are still distracted working out of their house; e.g., UPS deliveries or service calls. Others may be able to block out disruptions more easily in a remote environment, so that they can work on reports or review proposals that benefit from dedicated and focused time without interruptions. For some professionals, a hybrid approach of working remotely only on certain days with specific goals in mind – e.g., completing the first draft of a brief – may be a potential solution.
What resources and technology do you have?
Despite many companies increasing their technology budgets and improving remote access for employees, there will be frustrating glitches and gaps– some due to employer resources and some due to your remote environment. For example, if your VPN is unreliable in connecting, you live in a location prone to power outages, or your wireless network is overloaded, working from home may produce more headaches than you want to deal with. Whether you can address issues with technology and equipment is key to an honest assessment of how effectively you are at working remote.
Who do you need to communicate with and how?
Think about who you need to interact with in a meaningful and productive way, and whether you can do it well via videoconferencing, telephone, in-person, or through a combination of approaches. For instance, your corporate culture may be one where people are not required to turn their camera on during videoconferences. But what does that mean if you want to see someone’s reaction to a proposed idea, or you’re having trouble identifying how to interject a comment into the discussion? One option to address that challenge may be to consider whether resuming some in-person meetings could change the level and nature of engagement with your team.
And if you want to be seen and noticed by your colleagues or supervisors – including to make sure you are putting yourself forward for promotions, new opportunities, and the best assignments -- it’s important to examine critically what communication style works most successfully not only for you but also for the people you are communicating with. Some professionals may be able to easily get the attention of their manager with a quick call or thoughtful email. Others may have trouble getting time with someone unless they can catch them in the break room, on the train to meet with a client, or just by knocking on the door when they are between calls. Ask yourself what you’ve seen work well in the past with a manager or a direct report, and what lessons you might draw about improving communications as well as your visibility.
What information do you miss when you work remote?
The phrase “office gossip” has a negative connotation, implying that people are talking behind each other’s backs or spreading rumors with ill intent. But not all chitchat, casual conversations, and updates from the grapevine are bad. Indeed, catching up with colleagues about work and non-work issues can help you get to know people, learn how they approach different issues, and get a sense of who they are and what matters to them. For example, overhearing someone you’re struggled to collaborate with talking about their camping trip over the weekend might give you a different perspective and a way to engage with them on an area of mutual interest. Or if you learn that someone is transferring to a new role in another department, that can give you the opportunity to stop by, congratulate them in person, and find out off-the-record why they are making the move. Keeping “in the loop” often takes some in-person time in the office
Also, if you’re a manager, being in the office may help you understand better the people on your team and what is going on in their lives. For instance, noticing a colleague’s discomfort on certain topics when you are speaking to them in-person and not on-camera can suggest something they may be struggling with and where they may need support. And particularly if you’re new to an organization, being present in the office provides a chance to notice social cues, personalities and informal contacts that can help you learn more about your co-workers and how to build relationships with them.
What is your company’s real expectation for where you work?
Many companies have established formal policies on when people can work remote, but the terms of those policies can be fuzzy; e.g., “maintain a regular presence in the office,” “be in the office at least two days per week,” or, as one law firm put it, allowing remote work with flexibility because “one size does not fit all” but with the caveat that “there is something special about in-office interactions.” Reading between the lines of some organizations’ remote work guidelines, and talking with your colleagues about their experiences, you may find that remote work is technically allowed but implicitly discouraged. Depending on your company culture, you may find that remote work is accepted but that not working in the office can get you labeled as disengaged and distant. Examining what your company’s unwritten views and biases are with respect to working outside the office can help you learn what you may need to do differently to avoid that situation.
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If you are considering where you be working, or otherwise contemplating how to make a change in your professional life, coaching can help you navigate the path to your goals. Please reach out to me if you are interested in learning more about how I might work with you to get where you want to go.