Traditional Office?
On social media there is a lot of discussion around the ‘traditional office’ format, remember the one you had back in February?! We’re all adapting to this current ‘new normal’. Anyone who can, is working from home and that’s getting people thinking about their traditional office space, running costs, rents etc.
The situation thrust upon us shows many businesses can carry on virtually (excuse the pun) as before, staff are undertaking their daily roles from the safety (hugely important) of their kitchens, bedrooms, sheds, or where ever their new desk happen to be. It’s been absolutely amazing seeing, through various social media formats, how different businesses in Guernsey have adapted to continue providing the same service (in some cases better) than they did only a few short weeks ago, when we were all relatively oblivious to COVID19.
Such a success this remote working has been, will we ever need to return to our offices? Why go back to paying over inflated rent on a space, which for the last month or so hasn’t been necessary to the carrying on your business?
Remote working, very clearly has its place, but in my mind should not replace the office environment completely. The daily interaction and fast paced conversations can’t be replicated by virtual meetings, no matter how productive they are once everyone has accepted the invite, remembered to put the camera on (me), put the children/barking dog in another room, unplugged and re-plugged in their router, for the 8thtime. Nothing beats turning around and speaking to your colleague, really engaging. That interaction should not be underestimated.
This situation might get us all ‘thinking and working’ differently, which can only be a positive thing, but this isn’t just about remote working. It’s about us all being tested and seeing what you do with that. I for one will be disappointed if the is biggest story to come out of all of this, is mostly the discussion around remote access.
If you have a business that is able to work remotely, it’s important to remember that business is most likely the product of the ‘traditional office’ environment, with your team working together, every day in one space, thank goodness.