When it comes to remote and hybrid work, are we asking the right question?

Does anyone else feel like we are at a? bit of a crossroads when it comes to the debate over hybrid and remote work??

We can all point to many examples of companies that have made the call and are mandating staff return to the office for a set number of days per week or month. Others are experimenting with all sorts of variations on the hybrid theme, and working closely with their people to find what works for all involved.

Rather than ask the rather binary question of whether we should or shouldn’t return to the office, I think it’s a more interesting question to ask - what outcomes are we trying to achieve?

Like me, you probably have a list of examples - whether yourself or people you know - where you are expected to be in the office on certain days, only to end up sitting on screens, or in video calls all day.? For me, there is no point in this at all.

Time together is absolutely critical for building relationships, social networks, trust and a myriad of other benefits - but to achieve these outcomes, intentionally designing time in and out of the office as a team and a business is critical.

Whilst there are many facets to this, I come back to the way we effectively design our communication with each other as one of the fundamentals. Here are some things that definitely got me thinking…

1. Embrace technology, but also consider how you use it. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!? It’s no surprise to all of us that digital or ‘Zoom fatigue’? is real. According to? communication Professor Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL), there are several reasons why video conferencing fatigues us human beings. Factors such as long periods of sustained eye contact with others on the screen, seeing yourself on the screen and the fact that we are generally immobile for the duration of the call, are all big contributors to mental load and stress.? Professor Bailenson also notes that we have taken one of the most natural human interactions - face-to-face conversation - and made it hard work! Via a screen we can miss all the cues that we would naturally pick up in person, such as body language and tone, and have to work much harder to communicate as a result.? No wonder we get tired! Coupled with the fact that it has become the norm to roll from one virtual meeting straight into the next and it’s no surprise we are over it. Does anyone else feel a sense of relief at an old school phone call??
2. Think about the type of work and communication you are engaging in, and then consider which channels and tools are most effective for the situation. Often our default (because of convenience and habit?) is to use text based communication like email, text or even direct messages on platforms such as Slack. Whilst no doubt convenient,? according to studies into the impact of communication channels on both social networks and communication effectiveness, there is a psychological cost to spending all our time in asynchronous communication channels such as these. Think of those back and forth email exchanges that can go on and on, with no resolution in sight and a cast of thousands copied in. Now compare that to the effectiveness of everyone in a room together, having a conversation? and actually resolving the issue. Exactly.?
3. There is a very real toll that remote and tech enabled communication has on innovation, collaboration and building social networks. When we are together in actual real life, it is easier to collaborate, build relationships, innovate and problem solve. It isn’t new that in-person collaboration has also been proven to foster trust, and with trust comes greater creativity, innovation and one might argue, far healthier and productive cultures.

None of this is necessarily new, but I feel it is a good reminder nonetheless to bring more intentionality to how we design our work cadence and environment, and that we need to think more about the right tools and channels for different tasks and outcomes.

Like most people, I truly value the fact that I can work from home. For me that’s in regional Victoria, in the mountains. Pre covid that would have been unthinkable. Now, I cherish the time I get to spend at home, and love those days in my office where I power through tasks or have some alone time to reflect and be creative. But… I also miss the human interaction, those serendipitous moments when you run into the right person out of nowhere, or the energy I get from problem solving and innovating together.?

So next time you contemplate the pros and cons of working from home versus trekking into the office, give some more thought to what outcomes you want to achieve and how you and your team are intentionally designing that time together.

I’d love to hear your experiences and how you intentionally design your communication and human interactions.