Four Minus Three
Drew Jones
Culture & Workplace Consultant // Author of The Open Culture Handbook: Five questions to drive engagement and innovation
Over a decade ago Gensler provided a simple yet powerful framework for understanding the world of work- the four modes of work. Pretty simple stuff, but sometimes simple is better.
- Focus
- Collaboration
- Learning
- Socialization
The modes are self explanatory and widely understood so another recitation is not needed here. However, in the current global work from home (WFH) experiment through which we are all living, the four modes are worth contemplating.
Subtraction
It is amazing how many people have overnight become experts in remote working. Everyday on Linkedin there is a new service on offer. Some are coming from consultancies who work in related areas, while others are coming from companies who have vested interests in having more and larger offices and fancy furniture to fill them. I guess everyone is just trying to help.
But for now we are working in a world of one mode- focus work. There is no question that new technology helps with the other three, especially with self-directed learning, but that is not what Gensler meant by 'learning mode.' For the most part, though, three modes have been taken out of the picture- collaboration, learning, socialization.
Collaboration is a roll-up-the-sleeves group activity with whiteboards and post-it notes. Digital whiteboards are ok, but they are not the real thing.
Learning from colleagues and experts is about observation, mentoring, and direct transfer of knowledge and skills, and despite our collective fascination with Zoom, this too suffers.
Socialization is, well, socialization. We are all actively trying to replicate this with Zoom calls and other tools, but there is no substitute for the warmth of human co-presence.
Equal One
Which leaves us with focus work. It is no surprise that, in terms of pure productivity, remote workers are often more productive than their office-bound counterparts. They are unencumbered by ("unnecessary") social rituals at the office that gobble up time and productivity. But I think we would lying to think that the current reduction of work to focus work is desirable or sustainable in a human sense. What Gensler talked about long ago was humans at work, not simply humans working.
As Fortune's Alan Murray suggests in a recent CEO Daily update, the CEO's that he talks with are looking at Christmas as a time frame for a return to the office. That is difficult to wrap one's head around. It might be that productivity rises as people get used to the various tools that are pouring in to fill the void. However, humans are social animals, and working in one (isolated) mode of work for that long will be (quite literally) dehumanizing.
I need to sign off now, as I have to hop on a Zoom call...
Vice President, Studio Design Director at Corgan | Chair, ASID National Board of Directors
4 年I appreciate this article and in particular the comment about the "warmth of human co-presence". Tele-presence is no substitute for human co-presence. While the tools we use to connect with one another with scheduled intentionality, there is something missing.?There is something unique to being in a shared space and the spontaneous co-creation that unscheduled, unintentional thought sharing can bring