Work-From-Home First Day Notes
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our company authorized those teams equipped to telecommute (work from home) to do so. Last Friday was the first time for my team to try such work arrangements.
I’m not really into the idea of working from home. I believe people should have their personal time for themselves. And I simply don’t think it is productive enough. Not entirely because there can be lots of distractions at home, but rather other enablers of such work policy, i.e. infrastructure, human resource policies, workflows, and corporate mindset are causing a lot of drag. My team must be surprised about me approving this kind of setup.
Telecommuting has always been a card for mitigating possible work disruptions. It is just I’m trying to be careful when to use it. I don’t think our current context is bespoke enough to deliver productivity that is comparable when everyone is gathered in the office. With liaising a core function of our team, this will be tough, but I believe the team has prepared enough.
Preparing for telecommuting is way more than just giving away laptops. It is a function of trust and accountability. There must be trust within the team. To trust that each member of the team is upholding themselves to high standards when performing their tasks. No kind of reporting, monitoring, or tools will ensure productivity. Relying on processes and structures alone is not enough. People must be accountable. And for people to be accountable the value of their work and the reasons why must be clearly explained and understood. These are the moments when managers reap whatever they have sown.
Anyway, the day went generally fine. Work started and ended early. The team was well equipped and existing guidelines came in handy. Of course, additional SOPs were set but only minimal — mostly to align with company-wide policies. Well into the day, issues started to emerge. Not all work activities can be done or coordinated remotely, or at least performing it in person is still much more preferable. Everything was at the mercy of when one chooses to show up, or on when one’s internet connection to be available. It was impossible to summon someone. Nonetheless, people were creative enough to solve issues. In one of my meetings, we tried following radio protocols to help people know when to speak and when to listen.
“This is Marvin. Let’s make this work. Over.”
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P.S. Working from home does not mean one should feel and look like at home. Proper clothing must still be observed, the surroundings must be clear of distractions, and privacy of information still observed. The environment will never be office-like, but efforts must be taken to preserve the sanctity of the work being done.
