I enjoyed this article because it matched my observations. I think there are strong arguments for getting people back into work, at least for some of the time, from a relatedness point of view. It's good for them. Weak managers want people in all of the time because they are easier to manage and time sitting visibly in a chair is valued, regardless of output. This sentence summed up the article for me. 'I never specified when or where people should work—and I was never let down.'
cognitivediversity.co.uk/blog/ shows how the two ways of thinking - ringfencing and helpfulness - are complementary, and result in the 65% improvement in productivity.
Really interesting and particularly illuminating on how different ways of working can compliment each other rather than jeopardise productivity. Seems pertinent to the whole discussion around supporting women and their curvier career path too. Something we champion @WiWSummit
Quaint idea … that employers are interested in productivity. It’s almost all about power now (well … actually my last 50 years of wage-slavery). If they want to hear from employees —- they will ask …. and they sure didn’t ask for us to articulate the extent of our desires to work at home
For all the talk about vulnerability, let me bare my soul, and share a vulnerability. (Yes, I am no Spartan.)
All my work, while at work, is Deep Work: focused, mindful and drilling deep. There is no shallow work in my vocabulary. Even reading e-mails, I give them full and quality attention. In other words, I am a “Do not Disturb” guy round the clock unless the building is on fire. Having said that, I am a luddite with regards to text messaging, IM, etc.
Every time a SMS on the phone or an IM blooms with a beep, it feels as though a grenade has been thrown at me… As for recovery and getting back to what I was doing is as good as evacuating the building and coming back after the EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) expert has defused the threat. Ha! I am serious.
I am frank to admit, I am slow, plodding and at times bumbling unlike a silver tongued anchor on CNN.
Throughout my career, I have stayed away from job ad's, which read "fast paced environment, multiple tasking, fire fighting ☺..."
The good news is my cortisol levels are low, titles and income have been modest, and I am not on prescription drugs even through I will be 60 years old this year, and rarely fall sick.
Now I should conclude by saying my Vulnerability is actually a Strength!
It might or might not be. There is a fascinating study of Bell Labs, probably one of the most productive labs ever, which showed that those who did best, achieved most for themselves AND for Bell Labs were those who helped their colleagues and thereby learned more faster. It typically also meant that they had more people to call upon when they got stuck, which always happens eventually to creatively ambitious people.
Everyone works differently of course--and that's important.
But you raise an important point here, which is that people focus in different environments. One of my colleagues-a brilliant guy-was never more focused than when in the middle of a noisy food mall. Others-just as impactful-craved silence. There is no one rule. What's key is the work produced.
These concepts are of focus, respect, helpfulness & here are directed at the business environments. I feel that they can & should be applied generally to relationships & all work from running a home & most decidedly, in governments too.
Thank you for an excellent article. As a coach what I hear frequently from clients is that even when working from home they are not free to concentrate, being frequently interrupted by emails, online chat, Teams messages etc which they are not 'allowed' to ignore. It would seem that trust, to be left to 'get on with it' for agreed periods, is at an all-time low.
Good question. My sense is a lack of good management skills, and role models for good management, especially in the area of communicating clear direction and giving feedback.
Research data seems to support this. eg “82% of managers who enter management positions have not had any formal management and leadership training – they are 'accidental managers'”. CMI Report: ‘Taking Responsibility - why UK plc needs better managers.’ October 2023 and "The Workplace Connection Report" Reward Gateway 2023 which highlights that managers feel lonely and isolated.
Couple this data with the fact that expectations of those being managed have radically changed, and it seems to me you have the recipe for low productivity and a lack of trust, and why we're having the wrong argument.
I'm generalising of course - there are some good companies and managers out there.
Absolutely agree - my friend (in HR) always used to say 'work is an occupation, not a place'.
I enjoyed this article because it matched my observations. I think there are strong arguments for getting people back into work, at least for some of the time, from a relatedness point of view. It's good for them. Weak managers want people in all of the time because they are easier to manage and time sitting visibly in a chair is valued, regardless of output. This sentence summed up the article for me. 'I never specified when or where people should work—and I was never let down.'
cognitivediversity.co.uk/blog/ shows how the two ways of thinking - ringfencing and helpfulness - are complementary, and result in the 65% improvement in productivity.
Really interesting and particularly illuminating on how different ways of working can compliment each other rather than jeopardise productivity. Seems pertinent to the whole discussion around supporting women and their curvier career path too. Something we champion @WiWSummit
Quaint idea … that employers are interested in productivity. It’s almost all about power now (well … actually my last 50 years of wage-slavery). If they want to hear from employees —- they will ask …. and they sure didn’t ask for us to articulate the extent of our desires to work at home
For all the talk about vulnerability, let me bare my soul, and share a vulnerability. (Yes, I am no Spartan.)
All my work, while at work, is Deep Work: focused, mindful and drilling deep. There is no shallow work in my vocabulary. Even reading e-mails, I give them full and quality attention. In other words, I am a “Do not Disturb” guy round the clock unless the building is on fire. Having said that, I am a luddite with regards to text messaging, IM, etc.
Every time a SMS on the phone or an IM blooms with a beep, it feels as though a grenade has been thrown at me… As for recovery and getting back to what I was doing is as good as evacuating the building and coming back after the EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) expert has defused the threat. Ha! I am serious.
I am frank to admit, I am slow, plodding and at times bumbling unlike a silver tongued anchor on CNN.
Throughout my career, I have stayed away from job ad's, which read "fast paced environment, multiple tasking, fire fighting ☺..."
The good news is my cortisol levels are low, titles and income have been modest, and I am not on prescription drugs even through I will be 60 years old this year, and rarely fall sick.
Now I should conclude by saying my Vulnerability is actually a Strength!
It might or might not be. There is a fascinating study of Bell Labs, probably one of the most productive labs ever, which showed that those who did best, achieved most for themselves AND for Bell Labs were those who helped their colleagues and thereby learned more faster. It typically also meant that they had more people to call upon when they got stuck, which always happens eventually to creatively ambitious people.
Everyone works differently of course--and that's important.
But you raise an important point here, which is that people focus in different environments. One of my colleagues-a brilliant guy-was never more focused than when in the middle of a noisy food mall. Others-just as impactful-craved silence. There is no one rule. What's key is the work produced.
These concepts are of focus, respect, helpfulness & here are directed at the business environments. I feel that they can & should be applied generally to relationships & all work from running a home & most decidedly, in governments too.
Indeed! It's more respectful and effective to think about power with, rather than power over...
I’m Canadian, so I know the concept of “power over” far too well.
Thank you for an excellent article. As a coach what I hear frequently from clients is that even when working from home they are not free to concentrate, being frequently interrupted by emails, online chat, Teams messages etc which they are not 'allowed' to ignore. It would seem that trust, to be left to 'get on with it' for agreed periods, is at an all-time low.
Interesting. Why do you think that is?
Good question. My sense is a lack of good management skills, and role models for good management, especially in the area of communicating clear direction and giving feedback.
Research data seems to support this. eg “82% of managers who enter management positions have not had any formal management and leadership training – they are 'accidental managers'”. CMI Report: ‘Taking Responsibility - why UK plc needs better managers.’ October 2023 and "The Workplace Connection Report" Reward Gateway 2023 which highlights that managers feel lonely and isolated.
Couple this data with the fact that expectations of those being managed have radically changed, and it seems to me you have the recipe for low productivity and a lack of trust, and why we're having the wrong argument.
I'm generalising of course - there are some good companies and managers out there.