Is working at home as productive as working at the office? If we said yes, it seems we’re wrong! Why? Because we’re not doing it right.
In his blog Georgetown Uni’s, Cal Newport, quotes a paper from the University of Chicago. 10,000+ IT professionals assessed the impact of COVID-induced remote work. The finding? “Total hours worked increased by roughly 30%, including a rise of 18% in working after normal business hours. Average output did not significantly change. Therefore, productivity fell by about 20%.”
So the work got done, but took longer. Why?
Cal blames the “hyperactive hive mind”. It’s the on-call nature of how we work & how it disrupts deep thinking & real interaction. E.g., you’re finally planning that innovation session & your phone rings. Guess what stops!
You’re now busy rather than productive.
Cal says this existing issue is made worse by remote working. It’s even easier to email than productively interact. We’re busier in bits & not organising to make remote work, well, work.
So, just get everyone back? Cal has a surer fix. We rethink work. “We finally get around to replacing the hive mind with more structured forms of collaboration.”
Create time, spaces & purpose for collaboration & keep a culture of flexibility; focused on aiding your team to live their best life. Who’s best people would love that?
Warmest
Tony
#Purpose #Culture #Place
