Remote working is gaining popularity. Do you miss the day to day human interaction?
Roy
5 replies
Well, remote working has never been so relevant. And as we are accepting this new normal, do you think that it reduces human interaction? Working from an office allowed us to communicate with others on a regular basis, we had a 'human touch'. Work from home on the other hand limits us to digital communication only. Do you miss the 'human touch'? Will this have a long term effect on us? Human beings are social animals!
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Edward Park@edward_park_
OKR by ALLO
@chrisjungmann I second that! I don't miss in person work 99% of my time. I think working remote really has a good fit with me. I like the way it works out where I don't waste my time on commuting on highways and unnecessary social demand at offices. @roy_outgrow But then the 1% of the time when I miss being in the offices is when I feel I really need to meet my colleagues and need to convey my idea in person. Other than that I love working remote and so far it worked out so well.
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We've been doing radical shifts in our working culture throughout the history all the time. For example, moving from countryside (where work is very seasonal and close to family) to a city. So coming back to your question from my side it helps to look at the outcome: if the final result is better that before (which with remote working I think it is), then I'm up for it even if it involves certain trade-offs. That's evolution in it's pure form
Ahhhhh...well said Chris! But personally, I miss the office environment. Those chit chats with my colleagues, those short talks..and what not!!
I personally don't for two reasons.
One: I've been working remotely on and off since 1988 when I started my first business, in my apartment, so it's become an entrenched habit.
Two: I may have a "dual personality", that of a coder, and that of a social person. But I can't be social when I'm coding and vice versa. When trying to focus on something technical I abhor interruptions, they completely derail my work, so I find office environments to be counterproductive.
When I'm working on the business side, then I embrace social interactions, but even here I prefer virtual interactions. When I participate in a Slack call, Zoom meeting, or even watch a business related YouTube Video, TED talk etc., I actually feel like I'm there, part of the group or audience.
I think not missing the 'human touch' of an office environment comes down to how our brains model reality. Being able to obtain fulfillment from a virtual engagement comes down to how our brains model reality and what we choose to focus on.