Post-corona. When the herd trots back to the office

“Many people will like going back to being stuck in traffic.” That’s what Ignace Glorieux said during a Flemish current affairs TV programme called De Afspraak. Friendly-looking Ignace is professor of sociology at the University of Brussels.

I choked on my piece of cake.

Ignace Glorieux is definitely not the only one with this view. Cynical voices on Facebook and LinkedIn have been claiming for quite a while that “once the beast has been done away with, everything will quickly go back to normal”.

Omar Mohout, the man who inspired me to write my first book, advised me to surround myself with those who see it differently. “Dissident voices keep your mind sharp.” He said.

I took Omar’s advice mindfully and decided to take on a mental discussion with those dissenters, those dissident voices of those who assume once the crisis is over, we will all sensibly trot back to our offices.

The following text is a crystallisation of that discussion buzzing in my head.

FYI, the dissident voice I’m allowing to step forward represents a compilation of people that have crossed my path both online and offline during the past weeks. For obvious reasons, I won’t reveal their names.

Curious to see whether you recognise any voices.

Dissident: “As soon as I can, I’m going back to the office. By the way, I’m convinced that many are looking forward to that. Back to normal. Lovely!”

Isabel: “You do work in an open office, right? Can’t you concentrate better at home? Haven’t you got the feeling you can at last really dig into your work?”

Dissident: “To be honest Isabel, I actually quite like being distracted. A pleasant phone call from a customer, answering emails, a chat every now and then with a colleague who comes to you with a question. That’s what makes work so enjoyable. Focussing on work for a full hour or so, my goodness that’s so tiring. I’m not used to it anymore and I certainly don’t feel up to it anymore. It takes up too much of my energy.”

Isabel: “But then, are you satisfied at the end of the day with how you’ve managed your time? Have you really created added value?”

“To be honest Isabel, I actually quite like being distracted."

Dissident: “Added value? Oh Isabel, all that performance driven thinking of yours. Fine for ultra-liberals. Let’s keep both feet on the ground. Most of us have to go to work to earn a wage, to keep ourselves occupied.”

Isabel: “That’s quite a sad thought. And I simply refuse to shrug my shoulders and accept it. Work is something beautiful. It’s uplifting. It brings meaning to our lives. So yes, thinking about creating added value rather than just executing what others enforce, goes without saying; we owe it to ourselves. We should be giving the best of ourselves, shouldn’t we? We should be deploying our talent as optimally as possible, don’t you think?”

Dissident: “My goodness, you sound like an intellectual in her ivory tower. Get back down here, quickly. Come and listen to the common people on the workplace. All that nonsense about “finding meaningfulness in your job” just frustrates people. Work makes sure your invoices can be paid for. All that intellectual nonsense, Isabel, honestly!”

Isabel: “There’s this philosopher from ETION, Jochanan Eynikel. He carried out research whereby 80% of the people actually want to find meaningfulness in the work they do. That’s a nice thought.”

Dissident: “A philosopher. Of course. What does he know about daily reality? Intellectual gizmo! And, what does working from home have to do with finding meaningfulness in your work?”

Isabel: “Now that’s an interesting question you’re asking there. Ignace Glorieux, professor of sociology at the University of Brussels was on the tele yesterday and addressed that very question. He said that in normal times, certain structures ensure regularity and time management. Like the fact that we have to be at work at 9 o’clock. That brings an order to the day, and that is good. But now – in Corona times – systems providing structures are gone. He even spoke of “destructuralisation”.”

Dissident: “There goes another intellectual word.”

Isabel: “Bear with me. This moment - a moment of general destructuralisation in which we find ourselves - is going to make the individual take matters into their own hands. It’s a moment of taking responsibility. And this during a fasting period! Isn’t that a nice thought!”

Dissident: "Isabel, I’m not a Catholic practitioner. These stories don’t mean anything to me.”

Isabel: “I’m not a Catholic practitioner either but it’s rather about the symbolism of it. Each individual now has to make new structures and divisions for themselves. Each and every one of us has to decide when we’re going to start working and when we’re going to stop. And that reflective exercise leads us to further thinking about the next question: how do I actually use my time?”

Dissident: “I find it quite appealing that others answer that question for me.”

Isabel: “I find that, yet again, a sad thought. You are highly educated and as soon as you’ve got a job you let yourself be treated like a child who can’t account for their own time? Even my children, 17 and 20, who are now studying at home, can. It’s a matter of mindset, of wanting to own your carrier.”

Dissident: “Typical talk of a self-employed who doesn’t want to respond to other people’s orders. I’m telling you that many find it perfectly fine that they don’t have to ask themselves any questions about that.”

Isabel: “Do you know the Parable of the Talents? You know, the story in the Old Testament.”

Dissident: “Yes, Isabel, I know it. Showing off our knowledge of books again, are we?” 

Isabel: “I like the moral in that story. It’s up to each of us to bring out the best in ourselves. To make optimal use of our talents for something that will exceed ourselves. That brings happiness. I’m sure of that. Christians know that story. Muslims know it too. Bringing out the best of ourselves begins with being more mindful about the way we spend our time here on earth.”

Dissident: “To be frank, Isabel, I actually don’t mind sitting in meetings so often. You don’t have to pay attention all the time. You hop from one meeting to the other and let your thoughts wander off. And that’s just what I hate about all those ZOOM calls. So consuming, my goodness! I get a splitting headache from them. Far too intense!”

Isabel: “The time that people free up to be together should also be intense. That time should also lead to something, don’t you think?”

Dissident: “Oh no, that thinking efficiently of yours again. What I also like is: during meetings you can observe the office politics making its ways through the conversation. So amusing, don’t you think!? Since we’re confined, we’re using MS Teams. Oh my word! All that information out there in the open for everyone to see! I prefer face to face meetings. A bit of gossip, Isabel, that brings cohesion. Since you like reading books so much... you’ve obviously read Harari, right?”

Isabel: “So, once the beast has been done away with, you’re going to go right back into the good old traffic jams. Weren’t you the one who so enthusiastically joined the climate manifestations?” 

Right at that moment my mental discussion was cut off. I had apparently stepped on someone’s toes.

Time will tell who is right. I was talking to a business leader on the phone the other morning and he told me that “a hybrid situation whereby working from home is combined with physical moments is probably where we will be heading toward in the future.”

Read his quote again. He started with “working from home”, not with “physical” work.

That the death of corona doesn’t lead to the death of a process that is finally taking shape: the thinking process of the employee who now reflects upon the optimal use of his own time. And of his own talent.

I wish you all a pleasant fasting period.