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One day offices will be a thing of the past

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Re: One day offices will be a thing of the past

#41

Post by agentultra »

I've worked remotely more often than not over the last 3 years. It's becoming a more common trend. I am glad for it.

I was skeptical at first as I was prone to the common, ephemeral ailment of loneliness. However advances in group video chat, online whiteboards, cafes with high-speed wireless and power bars, shared working spaces... I prefer it to working in an office. I can choose when I am distracted, I can change my environment to suit my mood, and I get more work done over all.

I also get to spend more time with my family and less time commuting (which is a complete waste of your life).

I look forward to offices being "optional," but I doubt they will disappear completely. We are, by nature, social creatures. I predict that we will instead employ communal spaces instead of the traditional, "company office."

Re: One day offices will be a thing of the past

#43

Post by officemonkey »

gte910h wrote: post #38
snambi wrote: post #13

How about non-performing workers?

Do the same thing to them as you do when they're in the office.

Performance management for mobile workers is harder for the manager. There's a lot more metrics and measuring than most "soft skill" managers are comfortable with. And until recently, many managers are selected because of their "face skills" and not their project management chops.

There will always be jobs were people will go to a place and work with other people (McDonald's, Prisons, Hospitals.) But there will be a increasingly large sector of the economy where it will be economically beneficial to "do away" with the office. Those who have those skills are destined to benefit.

Re: One day offices will be a thing of the past

#45

Post by IdealEthos »

Empowering employees with choice is always a good thing as long as results are prioritized above their choices. My policy has always been to present company goals to our staff like so: Get X done, by Y, and be sure it meets our standard of quality. I don't care if you work in your childhood tree house up until Y as long as I am able to contact you if needed & you produce the desired results.

Marissa Meyer likely saw that the freedom wasn't producing the results she would like & decided to reel it in. I'm sure it will return when appropriate.

The wave of the future will be MORE offices that make people not want to leave.

Re: One day offices will be a thing of the past

#47

Post by bhauer »

"I have enormous respect for Michael Bloomberg and have rarely disagreed with anything he has done or said..."

I really could not get past this introductory bit. It tainted my opinion of everything Branson said. If Branson has enormous respect for Michael Bloomberg, I can't really muster much respect for him in turn. Which is a shame, because I essentially agree with him on this point--working from home--in particular.

Though I also feel it's any company's prerogative to allow or disallow working from home.

Re: One day offices will be a thing of the past

#48

Post by vellum »

Employers like the current setup because they can make sure people aren’t playing Minesweeper all day. And people still feel that face-to-face conversations have higher information density.

But if holographic teleconferencing becomes mainstream, then I could see a lot more knowledge based work being done remotely. That has downsides as well. Why employ an American, if you can get a qualified person in say, Poland, who speaks fluent English, is willing to work in your timezone, and has the equipment to virtually be around in 3D?

Re: One day offices will be a thing of the past

#49

Post by Jare »

pionar wrote: post #37
talmand wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the same argument that is often heard against home-schooling, the lack of socialization with other kids. What such people tend to not realize, or ignore, is that there are opportunities for kids to get socialization other than through school. True, it requires some effort on the parent's part but that doesn't mean they are not there. If you work remote then there are avenues for socialization outside of an off…

The problem, though, is that there's no "forced" interaction with others outside your own interests/background. When I was in school, I was a white kid from a white neighborhood in a school that was 50% black. Had I been homeschooled, even if I had interactions outside of home, I would not have been exposed to the diversity of cultures. I feel this will lead to a form of tribalism.

My anecdotal experience with homeschooled kids (my son is not old enough yet) is that the lack of 'forced' exposure at school is more than compensated by the habit of indulging and exploring one's curiosity. Especially because it applies not just to social aspects but to any area of knowledge, activity and culture. By the time the child's direct interests and background start showing their limits (9-ish years old?), they will have plenty of opportunities for interaction outside that circle (extracurricular classes, sports, travels, etc). Homeschooled does not mean hermit.

Re: One day offices will be a thing of the past

#50

Post by ap22213 »

agentultra wrote: post #41

I've worked remotely more often than not over the last 3 years. It's becoming a more common trend. I am glad for it. I was skeptical at first as I was prone to the common, ephemeral ailment of loneliness. However advances in group video chat, online whiteboards, cafes with high-speed wireless and power bars, shared working spaces... I prefer it to working in an office. I can choose when I am distracted, I can change…

Agree. I worked in-the-office for 12 years. Then, the past 2, I've worked almost exclusively remotely. It's been really good.

Just as when I started my first job, I had to learn new skills. As a diligent, good employee, I tried to learn quickly. And, now, I'm probably more productive than I ever have been.

But, then again, I don't sit on FB or Twitter all day. Each morning, I set out with a focused list of goals, and I try to get them done. And, I need a quiet space.

The hardest part, for me, was learning when to shut off. As an office worker, there was a natural dynamic and rhythm of the team. When the lights started going off, or when the cleaning staff showed up, you knew that it was time to go. But, sometimes, at home, I forget to turn off. I think I have gotten closer to burnout, working from home.

Collaboration is an issue, but we work in such small teams nowadays, that there aren't as many communication channels. Long gone are the 15-20 person teams. Now, I work with targeted groups of 4-5. We communicate regularly. For more high-fidelity communication, I have face-to-face meetings with subject matter experts and stakeholders and designers maybe once a month.

As a software developer, I can't see how this trend can stop. With the state of things, I will never again have all the people that I need in the same office every day. Skills are just too specialized now. And, services are specialized. To get everyone (and all their dependencies) in the same office would mean sacrificing a lot of quality and agility.

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