Parodoxes

"I enjoy working from home, It gives me my private space", "It offers me flexibility between work, home and myself", " I don't need to wade through this heavy traffic" , "Isn't it just enough that I work according to what is required"...True

Then the grand ceremonial reception to back to office and what you hear ;" Oh how much I missed all this companionship", " I really feel the connection now", "I now realize how much lonely I felt at home", "Its so easy to get things done..just walk and talk and Lo & Behold !!"

I am sure many of us professionals who have gone through these past 2 years and now returning to work have felt. Yet there is a seeping understatement of reluctance to be at work, while there is a deeper connect one sees when one is at workplace. I have been thinking what is doing this. Here is what occurs to me

At home, we enjoyed our private working space and the flexibility it provided to us to be away from our leaders peering eyes, while at work we feel sequestered - so then should the solution be that workspaces need to be modified to give individuals the much required privacy , where managers cannot peer away into their workstations

Flexibility of mind was available at home as one juggled between work, pets, gardening, cooking , painting and ah..the afternoon siesta. Can this be replicated at work, where employees can be encouraged to bring their hobbies and me-time into their workspace.

Then in brimming metropolitan cities we do have to deal with the situation of traffic. This is a killer for many. Perhaps this is where it is time for builders to come up with communities which have both home and work at one place. There are some, but we need more of such. Also perhaps employers until then should adopt flexibility of timings- come at a time that is most convenient to you

People reading this , may have got the point I prefer, Work communion and collaboration is important - not only for organizations to thrive, business to be creative and innovative. But it is time for organizations to make some deeprooted structural shifts to accomodate the new norm. The new norm which wants privacy, flexibility, empowerment and at the same breath creativity, community feeling and social engagements.

Looking forward to how this pans out for all of us in organizations around the world. looking forward to hearing what the Gurus of Organizational building have to tell us about this paradox