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I've been working with a range of organizations over the past two years, helping them determine what their future of work should look like. Now, I'm not here to make a broad statement that remote work is or is not universally good. I think we're all smart enough here to know that nothing works all of the time. I am, however, here to warn you that we need to be wary of our data. Let me give you a couple of examples. Many people point to their organization's effectiveness during COVID as proof that they're actually good at remote work. Now it is proof that remote can work, but not that it necessarily will. COVID was a massive social experiment with unique conditions. Most organizations dealt with it by cutting the fat and becoming laser-focused on short-term efficiency. In effect, we were productive because we were in survival mode. But the question we have to ask is whether that's sustainable. Data shows around the world that people's working hours have increased, and many say that they actually find it harder to delineate work-life boundaries. Data also shows that the experience wasn't the same for everyone. With “The Economist” data showing that parents of school-aged children experienced much greater stress than many others. And data from Microsoft shows that it's actually even changing the way in which we work, with people working more hours but less collaboratively. The question of whether we can effectively work remotely needs a contextual answer. Contextual based on the people who are doing the work and the tasks that they're trying to accomplish. Remember, one size fits none, and we need to think about the sustainability of our effectiveness.

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I've been working with a range of organizations over the past two years, / helping them determine / what their future of work should look like. // Now, / I'm not here / to make a broad statement / that remote work is / or is not universally good. // I think we're all smart enough here / to know that nothing / works all of the time. // I am, / however, / here to warn you / that we need to be wary / of our data. Let me give you a couple of examples. // Many people point / to their organization's effectiveness during COVID / as proof / that they're actually good at remote work. // Now it is proof that remote can work, / but not that it necessarily will. // COVID was a massive social experiment / with unique conditions. // Most organizations dealt with it by cutting the fat / and becoming laser-focused on / short-term efficiency. // In effect, / we were productive / because we were in survival mode. // But the question we have to ask / is whether that's sustainable. // Data shows around the world that people's working hours have increased, / and many say that they actually find it harder to delineate / work-life boundaries. // Data also shows that the experience wasn't the same for everyone. // With “The Economist” data showing that parents of school-aged children / experienced much greater stress than many others. // And data from Microsoft shows that it's actually even changing the way in which we work, / with people working more hours / but less collaboratively. // The question of whether we can effectively work remotely / needs / a contextual answer. // Contextual based on the people who are doing the work / and the tasks that they're trying to accomplish. // Remember, / one size / fits none, / and we need to think about the sustainability / of our effectiveness. //

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Now, when it comes to the staffing discussion, ask anyone who has recently been involved with hiring. The most common question that recruiters are being asked these days: "What is your flexible-work policy?" In effect, we’re facing the same escalation of perks popularized by tech companies during the boom. Do you have a barista pulling the perfect flat white in the lobby? Do you have nap pods? A ball pit? A slide? What about on-site daycare, right? So then instead of work from home, we actually bring home into work. Your current or potential future employees are now weighing your hybrid work policy as a key criteria in their decision of where they want to work. And that is the crux of this staffing challenge. What you need to recognize is that the comparison isn't actually between work from home and office work. Instead, it's really between the perception of work from home versus the perception of work from the office. And you need to reclaim that narrative. Let me give you a couple of examples. The first is what I call the recovered commute. Many people have told me, "I've saved so much time now that I don't have to commute." My challenge to them? What did you actually do during your commute times? Maybe you read, maybe you caught up on calls or emails, maybe you just use it as time to decompress. Personally, I used to get an hour to shake off a particularly rough, annoying, frustrating day before I got home. Now it takes me exactly six seconds to be immersed in my family upstairs. Another example, the after-meeting post-mortem debrief over a coffee, right? We use that to do some relationship repair, maybe to do some collective sense-making. The most important thing to recognize here is that what matters most is the experience, not just what the policy is. We need to reclaim the narrative to help ensure that everybody recognizes what a given approach either buys or loses for them.

Let's follow Mark...

Now, / when it comes to the staffing discussion, / ask anyone who has recently been involved with hiring. // The most common question / that recruiters are being asked these days: / "What is your flexible work policy?" // In effect, / we’re facing the same escalation of perks popularized / by tech companies during the boom. // Do you have a barista pulling the perfect flat white in the lobby? // Do you have nap pods? // A ball pit? / A slide? / What about on-site daycare, / right? // So then instead of work from home, / we actually bring home / into work. // Your current or potential future employees are now weighing your hybrid work policy / as a key criteria in their decision / of where / they want to work. // And that / is the crux of this staffing challenge. // What you need to recognize / is that the comparison isn't actually between work from home / and office work. // Instead, / it's really between the perception of work from home / versus the perception of work from the office. // And you / need to reclaim that narrative. // Let me give you a couple of examples. // The first is what I call the recovered commute. // Many people have told me, / "I've saved so much time now that I don't have to commute." // My challenge to them? // What did you actually do / during your commute times? // Maybe you read, / maybe you caught up on calls or emails, / maybe you just used it as time to decompress. // Personally, / I used to get an hour to shake off a particularly rough, /annoying, / frustrating day / before I got home. // Now it takes me exactly six seconds to be immersed in my family upstairs. // Another example, / the after-meeting post-mortem debrief over a coffee, / right? // We use that to do some relationship repair, / maybe to do some collective sense-making. // The most important thing to recognize here / is that what matters most is the experience, / not just what the policy is. // We need to reclaim the narrative / to help ensure that everybody recognizes what a given approach / either buys or loses for them. //