Reimagining Work: “Centers of Energy”

As we move through the first quarter of 2022, everyone is talking about “return to work.” In my mind, this is not the conversation we should be having.?

To keep moving our businesses forward and stay innovative, we shouldn’t be “returning” to anything. We should be moving forward. The conversation can’t, and shouldn’t, be about getting back to normal. It should be extremely clear in the 2020s that life and business is never normal. We will continue to be disrupted by geopolitical situations, health concerns, new ways of thinking, and advancements in technology.?

Don’t return, create something new.?

Many companies are asking their workers to stop working from home. Many workers are saying no.?

In the midst of the Great Resignation and staffing shortages in nearly every industry, we have to be truly listening to what people are saying. Top down decisions about the way people work, are top down decisions about the way people live, and that is no longer acceptable.?

I have challenged myself and the LogicMonitor leadership team to reimagine what it means to work, and live, as an employee of this company.?

We don’t think of “offices” anymore. Instead, we think of physical locations as Centers of Energy. People shouldn’t have to be connected to an office (unless they want to be). Instead, it’s about being connected to energy and people, and having the flexibility to create and maintain that energy in the way that works best for you.?

At LogicMonitor today we are distributed across Santa Barbara, the Bay Area, Austin, London, Punaii, Singapore, Sydney, and many other locations - with almost 30% of our entire workforce fully remote.?

Being in an office should be purposeful, and practical. Not a mandate. And offices themselves should look different - more like an event space for town halls or team meetings. Of course there needs to be workspaces for individuals who decide they enjoy being in that setting the most, but it is no longer enforced as the norm.?

As I’ve written before , authenticity is incredibly important to me, and I believe it is one of the primary drivers for which employees will choose to work with today. As a leader, I’ve enjoyed being able to bring more of my authentic self to work in this era, but I’ve also enjoyed having those hybrid opportunities to meet people in person. If I have these opportunities, so should our entire workforce.