Once upon a time...(7)

A story begins...

Once upon a time, there lived a man who used to go to work every day. He had good days, and then he had bad days. He had days of fun and days of absolute misery. He had days of joyful banter and bitter arguments. 

And then he had days where he often thought about a colleague or two who used to work remotely all the time - it was especially during those bad days. 

"How wonderful it would be to work-from-home?" he often thought to himself. They avoid the  painful commute, the bitter toxic office emotions, and of course all the miscellaneous cost (food, fuel, and everything else). 

"How fortunate they must be?" he often thought.

And then something remarkable happened. The pandemic of 2020 hit the world. It was a storm of sorts - creating a disruption unheard and unseen before. But the storm bought with it something really sweet it seemed; a silver lining. The opportunity to work-from-home all the time. And now he ended up with what he envied all long. It was finally there for him to embrace, and embrace forever. And then he lived ..... ever after        

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What piqued this post is the recent controversy (a hyperbole) on an opinion in a podcast interview made by the celebrated author, #malcolmgladwell. (His book "Blink" is a great read)

Malcolm, on a question regarding #workfromhome, said the following.

“It’s not in your best interest to work at home.”

“I know it’s a hassle to come into the office, but if you’re just sitting in your pajamas in your bedroom, is that the work life you want to live?”

“Don’t you want to feel part of something?” I’m really getting very frustrated with the inability of people in positions of leadership to explain this effectively to their employees.”

“If we don’t feel like we’re part of something important, what’s the point?”

“If it’s just a pay cheque, then it’s like what have you reduced your life to?”

Note: I listened to the 1 hour 40 min podcast to a certain extent. I have to admit that I did not get the time to hear it fully but I ensured to listen to the specific portion in question and a few other parts that helped me absorb the minds of Malcolm and the interviewer - it helped me assimilate the context to write this piece.

A flurry of rebuttals followed, naturally. Articles, news items, and social media posts were abound - critical of what Malcolm said. Obviously all of them were proponents of #remotework. People who value the flexibility and freedom it offers. The criticism was pivoted at an angle of argument that centred itself on Malcolm's hypocrisy.

Malcolm, apparently, was himself a beneficiary of #remotework. Past tweets, interview remarks were dug up and showcased as proof. Yes, to prove the point that Malcolm is unqualified. A traitor who betrayed his own work life style.

Its a valid point of view to some extent, one that cannot be dismissed. But it is always sensible to deconstruct the views for their own merit. And lets keep the persona aside.

What did Malcolm say? Let me now share a point of view.

Point 1: “It’s not in your best interest to work at home. I know it’s a hassle to come into the office, but if you’re just sitting in your pajamas in your bedroom, is that the work life you want to live?”

I do not personally want to have a work life that is all about me sitting in my pyjamas in the bedroom. It will personally be a disaster for me. But I know many who love exactly that. They end up working efficiently and hmm.. they seem to be happy in their lives. They believe this works for them best. But we are still early in the new work paradigm. The consequences of such a work life style needs to be observed in the years to come.

Point 2: “Don’t you want to feel part of something?” I’m really getting very frustrated with the inability of people in positions of leadership to explain this effectively to their employees.”

I definitely see this the way he sees. I really want to be a part of something - at least have the illusion of being part of something. Why would I encourage an illusion? Because it helps me function. It motivates me and helps me learn. But this does not seem to be the case for many.

On leaders' inability to make employees return to office, I think Malcolm left out a pertinent point - that many leaders themselves do not understand the negatives of a permanent #remotework lifestyle. They see that it is actually valuable to have everyone work remotely - it satisfies the employees, and it minimises overheads. Why would a leader want to have employees back in office when its only going to create a dent in his profits?

Point 3: “If we don’t feel like we’re part of something important, what’s the point?”

Why should I feel to be part of something? This has not been explained. I find this disagreeable because there are many companies who have no real mission except profits. And with that approach it is difficult to convince any employee to feel a part of something important. In many ways the #remotework paradigm has exposed the nature of companies and what they believe in, as it is. (there maybe companies and leaders who are an exception in this regard). So the point almost falls flat - it is a politically correct thing to say. But it doesn't resonate for many.

Point 4: “If it’s just a pay cheque, then it’s like what have you reduced your life to?”

Life has now reduced to a P&L statement - and no, this is not the problem of employees who want to work remotely. This is the problem of the age we live - everything is measured monetarily.

If an organisation says that employees should not merely measure their employment with a pay cheque, they must walk the talk. They have to show what they really value besides profits. And Malcolm could have posed this question first to the employers before addressing it to the employees.

That is pretty much my thoughts on this at this stage.

I am not a #remotework proponent. In fact I stand on the other side. It has not been healthy for me - emotionally and psychologically. But what I cannot deny is that I do see that it has benefits for many who really need them. And after quite a bit of thought, I see that the chief reason why many opt to #remotework is that it saves them a lot of money. Many badly need it and some see it as an option to improve their quality of life. This is understandable.

But where I do see a problem is the complete undermining of the negative impacts of #remotework. There is a psychological impact when we work in isolation - this needs acknowledgement and a redressal (no, the redressal may not be a mandate to go back to the office)

And what is cited as the biggest advantage of #remotework - flexibility. Flexibility is a trap, its a double-edged sword. It is a pleasing word - but look closely, flexibility may also be a nice mask to indiscipline. If someone tells me that its okay to do work any way as long as its done, I beg to differ slightly. Yes, it makes no difference to the person for whom you are working - but it makes a big difference to you, in you. That cannot be ignored or brushed aside.

Lastly there is more to profession than a pay check. Its challenging to sustain that thought in a world where everything is about monetary gains. I know its hackneyed so I wont emphasise any further.

I empathise with Malcolm because I do see a lot of merit in what he shared. But he made the mistake of passing a subjective opinion as an objective one. He should have tried to share this as merely, "a point of view" at this stage. He could have also been honest about how his views had evolved over time. The good thing about the term 'point of view' is that it leaves a room for making errors. One is not fixated and is open to being corrected.

(Side note: That is why I choose the title of this newsletter to be, a point of view. I do not know whether my views will be consistent forever. And I want to be honest about it)

Let me go back to the story again...

I end the story in the beginning without a conclusion. I do this because its unclear to me whether the net effect of #remotework is good or bad. There is at least no definitive answer as of today.

The best way to do this is to leave it to everyone's imagination and wait. In time, the story will reveal its own ending.