Saturday, February 8, 2025

Telework...Is it for the Dogs?

 

For nearly the last three decades, my employer has tended to swing like a pendulum to one side or the other of the current business trends.  When not busily exploring required change management or DEI lessons, I remember being told at length why teleworking would never work for state government; that didn't last so long.  I get it... Many aspects of teleworking are super convenient.  You save money on parking and commuting costs and even get a little more sleep to boot.  If you have personal errands, they are much easier to do on breaks.  This may be a critical perk if you need to care for a loved one.  The list goes on.

There is a downside, though.  There is a loss of connection with colleagues.  You may also run into situations where, there often being a written record now of even the most spontanious question, casual bouncing off of ideas and processes becomes effectively discouraged.  Where you might have wandered down a couple of cubicles and brainstormed a problem with a colleague, it may become a little more complicated for some of us to do that today.  Another element for me is learning and development.  Back when I began new roles, one thing that always helped me was to listen to my colleagues, and sometimes my colleagues did likewise.  We all learned from each other.  I learned to tailor my phone conversations based, in part, on some of the great people with whom I worked closely; I patterned some of my techniques after their effective practices.  This kind of thing becomes a bit difficult for the teleworker.

There are always other ways to improve one's work, of course, but losing that feedback loop from one's colleagues can prove a negative.  Sitting day after day in one's empty house can also prove to be a tad isolating.  How would the employer who accepts teleworking take steps to make it a healthier environment for all its workers?  I don't think the answer is to necessarily drop it in its entirety, but it seems if there were more opportunities to come together as a workplace or unit, it would be a good thing.  (And don't subtly discourage it by requiring the use of leave time to attend.)  Let's face it: Teams is great (I guess), but it is no replacement for face-to-face communication where relationships are built and strengthened.  In a day and age where so much of our lives represents a "connection illusion," creating a virtual workplace seems to betray a certain ignorance of human nature.  If you peruse the internet for information and studies on the darker side of teleworking, there is a lot out there to read.  Many studies have been conducted in this area, and I am sure many more are underway.  Some of the negative observed consequences are interesting.  From a blurred separation of home and work to isolation, telework isn't necessarily all it is cracked up to be.

I am thankful that I am not beginning my career with this professional experience to look forward to for decades to come.  Looking back on the memorable office times- the laughter and the shared sorrows- these were spent in the presence of other human beings and not isolated in a house miles away from colleagues who oftentimes became friends.