The Pros and Cons of the Remote Work Revolution

The other day, we were having a podcast conversation here at the office. As we were discussing various trending workplace issues, we eventually brought up the idea of remote working and humored implementing it for our team. The conversation that followed was super enticing.

For some sub-context, the whole team was in the room. This includes 2 male Gen Xers, 2 male Millennials, and 1 female Gen Zer. Needless to say, the opinions varied, but thankfully, we reached a consensus, or middle ground, in the end. I wanted to share with you a summary of the key points of disagreement that took place during the discussion as I feel they may just shine a bit of light on the difference in perspective when speaking about remote working.

Ever since the pandemic, remote working has been on the rise around the world. In 2023, 98% of expressed their desire for remote working, at least some of the time. While not everyone in the team agreed that it would be an attractive option to have, there was no denying that remote working will, one way or another, be part of our future. How exactly, is still up for discussion.

Pajama Drama

While I was expecting the first dropped acronym to be ROI or KPI, funnily enough, it was PJs. We’ve all seen the pajama dress code evolve from Casual Office Day to the full-time attire of anyone who is remote working. While I, personally, do not own pajamas, I can definitely understand the appeal of wearing comfortable clothing.

I’ve always been a fan of the idea that wearing a tie is not always necessary in order to be productive, but is simply an impression tool, in that you can use it to make certain impressions. While working, people should indeed prioritize comfort, just as long as they don’t prioritize it over professionalism.

One of the arguments put forward about pj’s was that being super comfortable while working can boost creativity and productivity, in that comfortable people feel freer and more relaxed. I think we can all relate to this as, historically, pajamas are more associated with fun over seriousness or professionalism. But perhaps too much comfort is a bad thing.

If there’s one clear memory from the day I wore my first suit, it was that I felt I needed to fill the shoes, play the part. I dressed for the part I wanted to play, and I took on the role. That role was very much a serious, punctual, productive professional. Just the preparation process shifts the mentality. It can start from choosing and ironing and outfit all the way to getting dressed and primping. I’m bald and male so I expect that getting ready may be much shorter for me than for others.

The mentality, however, continues well after you’re finally ready. The suit was NOT comfortable compared to my usual attire but the feel of the collar on my neck, the pull of the tucked-in shirt and the tightness of the blazer were continuous reminders to keep my shit together.

Comfort and creativity are usually negatively correlated. Escaping your comfort zone, mixing things up and trying new approaches always come top of mind when recommending to someone how to get out of a creative rut. Remote working is quite decisively continuing in the name of personal comfort. Unchallenging routines, however, tend to result in diminished creativity. Perhaps this doesn’t apply to everyone, but pajamas may just make things a bit too comfortable.

Middle Ground: Wear Uncomfortable Pajamas

Scheduling Shenanigans

The second argument to be bounced around the table was scheduling. Fans of remote working tend to emphasize that working from home allows them to flexibly plan their workday around the other personal chores and tasks they need to accomplish. Maybe they can book a dental appointment in the middle of the day without the need to take any time off. Maybe they just prefer to work nights when the rest of the family is asleep. I’m sure there are many reasonable justifications. Come to think of it, remote working must be a god sent for any single parents. Do what you got to do, as long as you also get the work done, we all say.

Did you ever consider, however, what is being sacrificed in the name of personal flexibility? It doesn’t take much of a historian to remember how things worked before the pandemic. When team members would set up their schedules around each other to ensure that everyone got their job done in time or to plan for some common leisure time to play a game of table tennis or have a cup of coffee together. It was during such leisure times that colleagues could interact with each other, informally, sharing ideas and inspiring each other. You’d be surprised how much innovation starts in the break room.

Synchronizing teams in the name of team cohesion has been sacrificed for individual gains, such as being more relaxed, and having higher job satisfaction. Of course, no one is a fan of burnout, so any measures taken for its reduction should indeed be taken, especially if it’s as simple as remote working. However, the alignment of work hours between team members to achieve better collaboration and faster problem resolution should also be high up on that priority list.

Middle Ground: We all work from home. The same home. Choose one.

Sun, Sand and Spreadsheets

Avoiding burnout is definitely one of the top selling points of remote working. People can start their day a bit more chilled, avoid the headache of commuting, getting stuck in traffic jams, dealing with any unideal weather conditions, or any other unnecessary problems that arise from trying to get to the office.

At first glance, not much is sacrificed. An employee will still have their morning routine of getting ready, having breakfast, etc., with the only difference being that they take a seat at their computer instead of in their car. Work hours and expectations would remain the same, with the only difference being distance from their team. When the time comes around to clock out, employees who are remote working simply log off and change clothes.

However, lately, more and more employees plan what they refer to as Workations, a combination of work and vacation. They visit a holiday destination but take their work with them. Instead of taking time off, they simply ensure to get their work done whenever they prefer, using the remaining time to enjoy their holiday.

Workations sound quite ideal, depending on how you envision them. Are you working in the business facilities of your hotel, avoiding distractions? Or are you more likely to sit poolside with your laptop? During the discussion, no one shook their finger at the former, but the poolside approach received some criticism.

In a nutshell, the discussion concluded on distraction vs. disciple. One needs to know themselves. If someone can be distracted, then perhaps they should admit it and cognitively avoid situations that can distract them. This is me. When I work, I know that my focus can be broken, especially by people. So, I ensure that my view is limited to maintain focus. It can be argued that I lack discipline. Especially when compared to Deano, who, when in work-mode, zones in deep enough that he may not see you standing next to him. He can work anywhere, with no impact on his work. I, honestly, cannot say the same about myself.

So, workations can be ideal for remote working plans, in theory, if each of us can be honest about our level of focus and discipline. I would love to think that no one has ever booked a workation only to allow themselves to lose focus and prioritize on the vacation part. If they have, then perhaps companies need to draw a line somewhere in the warm golden sand, to ensure that team goals and individual goals remain aligned.

Middle Ground: Plan workations for the whole team.

From Table Talk to Text

It was about this time in the round-table discussion (table was not round) that Alex got hungry. I argue he’s always hungry and simply expresses it at reasonable times. Regardless, we paused the discussion to arrange for food. 

In our microculture at Talent Hacks, lunch has been and remains a safe space for sharing and connecting with each other. (Victoria has written a great article on Microculture. Check it out here.) Under other contexts, we’re usually swamped with work and tend to speak of nothing else. Lunchtime, on the other hand, is a bit of a social playground, providing the opportunity to engage, bond, brainstorm, inspire or anything else that arises. These moments cannot be sacrificed as we never know what they may lead to. You miss all shots you don’t take… and don’t be surprised if no opportunity arises when you don’t make room for one.

After lunch, we returned to our seats, stomachs full and craving coffee. Before re-engaging in group discussion, we took a moment to appreciate the fact that the whole team was present, and able to break bread together. We began questioning what it would be like if any of us opted for remote working. Sure, they would be part of the conversation, but would the communication be the same if the medium changed?

There is no doubt that face to face communication can be very effective and efficient. This, of course, is dependent on the individuals trying to communicate. Some of us may use wrong words or tonality, leading to misinterpretation or, even worse, conflict. On the other hand, some people can communicate so seamlessly with each other that a single glance can convey multiple messages. Paris and Deano have this level of connection. Feels a bit like telepathy at times.

We need to admit, however, that while face to face communication CAN be very effective, it often is not. This is where the keyboard can help. Typing what you need to say allows for clarity, precision, and most importantly…. Editing. It can also stop people from overtalking. Moreover, every conversation is documented, allowing for reference and accountability. No more inconsistent messaging, backpedaling, or gaslighting. Text is text… IF you can type.

Some people may be excellent at reading body language but fail at correctly reading a message in the tone of voice the sender wrote it. A simple request may come off as aggressive if it’s concise enough. People don’t tend to make much small talk when communicating digitally. In the name of efficiency, they usually get straight to the point. This, again, can work for some but be disastrous for others, especially if there is a time gap between the moment a message is sent and the moment it’s read.

The flexibility of remote working allows people to read team messages at their own time, responding when the team is no longer available, or when the discussion has already been wrapped up. It may not be obvious, but more often than not, effective communication occurs when individuals are simultaneously in the same mindset and mode. If someone tries to re-engage me on a topic I brought up hours, or even days ago, they should not be surprised if I don’t seem too excited about it at the moment.

Middle Ground: When communicating an important message digitally, send a video of yourself.

Conclusion

Wrapping up this article, we can all agree that remote working can reduce burnout and increase job satisfaction, which in turn leads to a happier workforce. We can worry about things like team cohesion being sacrificed and missing out on opportunities to bond and grow with our colleagues. But, in the end, the truth is we just don’t know.

For as long as I can remember, people would congregate at their workplace, whether it be an office or factory. They would see their colleagues daily and put their best efforts towards smooth collaboration. So much experience and still, team conflict continues to exist.

Remote working, in comparison, has only just begun. We need to provide benefit of the doubt and opportunity for maturity and growth with this new model. It’s still very early. We must carry on carefully, mindfully, voicing our concerns and working together towards finding solutions. Who knows? We may just surprise ourselves.