I hate to admit this, but I actually think i some ways working from home (WFH) is great. I get more sleep. I don’t have to commute. I don’t have to spend as much time on my hair and makeup and figuring out what to wear. I can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my kids. I have just enough collab tools to run captures effectively from home. In fact, it’s going to be strange to NOT WFH! It kind of reminds me of the time after I came back home after living in Japan for 3 years, my 2nd day back, I answered the phone, “Mooshi, mooshi…. Oh, sorry I mean ‘Hello.” I almost fell like a foreigner in my own country!

One of the flaws I discovered in this 100% WFH model is the team cross-pollination of ideas and work that naturally occurs when you’re somewhat co-located. For example, if I have one team working on a management strategy, another on a tech strategy, and another on shaping of evaluation criteria. I have to be extra vigilant that we are all in communication, reading and reviewing each others’ work, and understanding the general direction.

It’s also easy for email communications to give rise to tension & team conflict. People tend to read emails through the lens of their own biases or inner monologue anyway. This is exacerbated when you’re 100% WFH and do more email-ing and conference calling without video and can’t see facial expressions. People can get hurt feelings, misunderstand messages, and harbor resentment if they read an email incorrectly. This type of conflict can tank a capture team.

Bottom line – the 100% WFH model definitely tests your communication skills like no time before. You have to communicate, communicate, communicate — otherwise the capture can go sideways REAL fast.

I really miss just chatting with my co-workers in their office, or grabbing a cup of coffee, or going out for lunch.

I’m curious, what’s your plan? What will you do differently or the same post-COVID? Will you continue WFH or start transitioning back to office?