Three myths of the future of work

Myth-busting is my favourite. Not because of the nature of the deed, but because it forces me to think multilaterally. And not just me, but for you too.

For the last several months, the future of work has been subjected to such myth abuse. Some people have talked about obvious realities as either prophecies, hypes, or both.

There are more than a dozen of them, but I will stick to three, just for today.

1. Covid accelerated everything

This one is easier to argue. Many experts asserted that digital transformation and similar projects were sped up due to snap lockdowns. And that meant Covid accelerated everything for them.?

But after speaking with many past and present clients, I have seen that that's not the case. Everything hasn't been accelerated. Some projects that enabled proper working were given higher priority due to obvious immediate benefits. And at the same time, many other projects were deprioritised, too. So the net effect would amount to zero. Nothing.?

The lockdowns are easing up in many parts of the world. And we can see a reversal of such priorities. I think it is prudent to acknowledge that permanent changes are not as snappy as one would like to be in the business world. But that's just the nature of it.?

Our life was less busy due to limited travel and associated activities. And therefore, in a relative sense, some might have felt this acceleration.?

In reality, Covid did not accelerate anything. It just forced us to change priorities for some time, of which some are reverting back.?

2. Geography won't matter anymore

Well, it didn't matter before Covid too. The appetite for remote work has definitely increased. Many people who were laggards were forced to adapt to this change. But we forget that the early adopters and the early majority were already there.

In a work where physical space or placement didn't matter, geography did not matter. But for most businesses, such as farming, food industry, manufacturing, etc., physical presence is still necessary.

I have also observed that despite the possibility of remote working, many companies have still shown reluctance to hire remote workers. Especially those outside their geography, i.e., outside the state or the country. They still want people to be in the same timezone or so.?

Moreover, the geography limitation comes with a cost caveat. No one has hired an employee from costlier geography than theirs. And for the other way round, well, it has been the case for several years. Traditional low-cost outsourcing has been in practice for a long.

Geography still matters, just that it matters less.

3. Working from home means lesser opportunities

Yes and no. This is tricky because many solo business owners and freelancers have worked from home for decades. And they haven't had any such issue.

Yes, this can be a challenge for people who are used to finding opportunities in the workplace or in a physical gathering scenario. But it only means those who feel difficulty must learn from others who have been doing it for several years.?

On the contrary, working from home can mean more opportunities. For most people, commute time to the office totals around 90 minutes or more. Saving that time means you get to work on other ways to find more opportunities and work on them.

If your idea of more opportunities means more opportunities in the same workplace, I can see why it could be challenging. However, if you are flexible, this limitation can be turned upside down.

Working from home means lesser opportunities is a myth. In reality, you are getting more time to find and work on more opportunities.

The point is...

Looking at things from different perspectives can sometimes give you a contrary view of the popular opinion. The question is - do you choose to succumb to social pressure and accept it, or you'd rather find another better way to work it out?