The Unintended Consequences of Working From Home

Last year, many of us who were used to travel for work found ourselves grounded and confined to home offices. Where we all have experienced online meetings such as Teams, Zoom, Webex, or GoTo Meetings for years, there was a shift in how integral they were to our work. Where these platforms were largely audio and screen sharing platforms in the past, whether "camera ready" or not, most of us now diligently turn on our video and share our homes with our clients and coworkers. We see people with home offices, people working from the kitchen table, and family life going on in the background. We see pictures, art, or books they enjoy featured on screen. This led to some unique changes in our work relationships, tolerance, and expectations of each other. One of my favorite authors, Simon Sinek, mentioned during an online QA about his newest book that he didn't think true relationships could be forged without meeting in person. It is my belief that we have proved him wrong - humans will find a way to connect despite being miles apart. Let's dive in on my observations....

1. The Blending of Work Persona vs Home Persona. Prior to 2020, how many times have y'all had a conversation with someone where they were surprised by your home life vs how you portrayed yourself at work? In this previous normal, you could have your work persona but then be yourself at home. Through bringing work into the home, we've been forced to merge that Jeckel and Hyde to be more authentic to our true selves all the time. In my view, this shift actually allows us to better build relationships through less masking of who we really are and allowing compassion, vulnerability, and empathy shine through.
2. Tolerance. Whether it's dogs barking at the UPS delivery, kids crying in the background, or the sound of a mower outside someone's window, we have all cringed at these sounds in the past, judged others for the interruptions, or felt embarrassed by the noise. No longer. We are all real people doing the best we can in the spaces we have. Sometimes the dog barks, sometimes we need to get up and answer the door, and life happens around us as we work. This understanding and empathy combined with a decrease in judgement, again forms the basis for better relationships.
3. Casualness. Dress is less important than results - The necktie is a rarity in an online meeting. While we all try to look presentable for clients and coworkers, we all know the reality that appearances may be the result of a shirt thrown on for the meeting or that formalwear is only required from the waist up. What matters is people's work and not so much about the dress. We can now impress people through our engagement and contributions rather than physical appearance.
4. Time. This one has been observed and documented by many others. Eliminate the commute, the air travel, or even the walks between meeting rooms and we all gain some time. The key here is to use the time to gain a better work-life balance. While we may be able to squeeze a few more meetings into a day, we should also take some of that found time to schedule walks, some time on the Peloton, or just taking a sanity break with our families and pets.

While we do miss out on the small encounters that happen at the watercooler or when hanging up our coats that used to be the small coordination touchpoints, gossip centers, or personal connections, we can recreate these with some diligence in online scheduling. Ultimately, we have found ways to continue building relationships in new ways while being more authentic and tolerant of each other. We'll see how the post-pandemic new reality shapes up, but for sure, we have laid the groundwork for better human connections.