The work world changed profoundly in the past year. We asked OWC staff how they feel about that. Even they were surprised by their answers.
Phyllis: “The transition has been a unique strangeness of work and home blending together. It is almost like the boundary that always existed between being home and being at work has been blurred beyond recognition. Our ability to continue as a team has been okay, but certainly not what I prefer– which is seeing and working with everyone in person. The most impactful change is staying in so much at home. Sounds like a vacation, but it’s more like isolation, not seeing coworkers and only seeing your own loved ones except via a video conference call. But Zoom is here to stay, and I predict that we’ll enter a sort of hybrid, where we’re back in the office together, but it’s no longer a strict 9-5 weekday.”
Wes: “In PR, one of the most challenging things about COVID is working with media as they are taking on more work, so we have had to be creative and stay persistent to get results for our clients. Managing employees, deadlines and morale for the office remotely is also difficult and takes a lot more intentionality and effort. We’re more purposeful in building relationships now that we have to be connected in new ways. It means more communication, not less. There’s definitely a hunger for real-life human interactions and eventually, I imagine we will move to a hybrid approach offering people the best of both worlds.”
Paulo: “Last March, it became clear that our careers and our lives as we knew them were about to be severelydisrupted, but I firmly believe we’ve grown stronger as a team. Because of remote work, we’ve all had to go the extra mile, whether via email or phone, to maintain the dynamics and the camaraderie that’s so important to our firm. We know that our clients have also been put to the test, and actually, that gives us a new way to help. While I believe we might achieve some sense of normalcy toward the end of the year, remote work is going to become an integral part of any industry now that we’ve had a year to find out how well it can work.”
Sam: “At first, it was a struggle to know when to start and end the day, and I found myself working from the moment I woke up until hours after the workday ended. Setting boundaries and giving myself goals helped, and I now believe I’m more productive. It’s just easier to get online, stay focused and plan my day out without panicking. For me, it strengthens the team to have a video conference call every morning or any time we need a group brainstorm, and we just find a time that works for everyone. Ultimately, I think the need for a main office will slowly become a thing of the past as businesses realize employees are getting as much if not more work done working from home.”
Tracy: “Before 2020, I wouldn’t have imagined we could be so productive outside of the office. We’ve built in a daily team Zoom call, weekly check-ins, scheduled creative sessions and new lunch-and-learns, so we’re communicating constantly. But while I love being able to video conference, I miss the sidebars and meet-and- greets in the halls and elevators for the informal laughs and camaraderie. I relish the day we can have lunch together and have clients back to our beautiful office. I’m now convinced that we’ve changed forever the way we work, hire and collaborate.”
OWC’s quiet 12th-floor suite in Westwood is still there, of course. I go in once or twice a week and often see one of our team there—looking guilty, almost. Maybe they like to work the phone in the car, as I do, and maybe they also find the commute a chance to collect their thoughts, or on the way home unwind a little and turn up their personal taste in a podcast or some rock and roll. Can’t do that at home, where musical taste has to be shared.
Any company considering dispensing with rent might be surprised at the staff reaction. A place of work at home, it turns out, isn’t quite the same as a workplace.
See you at lunch soon.
Best,
Tracy
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