Add the benefits of the workplace to those of distributed working

The post I published on Friday (May 1, 2020) prompted great conversations and questions which will help us build the benefits of the workplace into the distributed way of working we are experiencing now and seek to improve. Today, I'm asking for your help to take the next step on this journey.

In The Language of Lock-down is holding us back, I argued there was a risk of adding cost and cutting productivity in 'going back' to normal. Going back to the office, to the torturous commute - ramps up a heap of costs and negative impacts for us and our planet.

But - as pointed out by contributors to the Lock-Down discussion, there are benefits to office life: practical, social, creative, career, psychological, etc

What we need are solutions that enable us to distribute work across time/space/leadership but which acknowledge and seek to replicate, the benefits of being together in time and space and under traditional centralised leadership.

The first step is to capture those benefits:

I will start here - and build as your contributions (through comments/ other feedback) allow me to build it out. The intention is, as we near a complete list, to take each and either identify the counter from the positives of distributed work - or identify the need for a solution to be added to provisions for distributed work.

Benefits of the office:
Practical:
1. Economies of scale
2. Work stations
3. Meeting rooms
4. Power,
5. Technology (and internet access)

Social:
1. Time face-to-face with colleagues
2. Fun and laughter with colleagues
3. Relaxed lunches and after-work drinks
4. Build intimacy with peers
5. Build trust with peers, prospects and clients

Psychological:
1. Space to focus in without interruption
2. Escape from pressures and concerns of home life
3. Compartmentalise your life
4. Clarity of direction - set by centralised leadership

Creativity:
1. Opportunity to share, compare and collide ideas informally and very regularly
2. Spaces designed specifically for open ideation/ concept development
3. The water-cooler

Career Development:
1. Opportunity to be seen to be performing by bosses
2. Out of sight - out of mind: Physical proximity tends to positive bias at promotion time

Benefits of the commute:
1. Your time: Opportunity to disconnect - simply read, think, or listen to music etc
2. Fitness - you tend to walk more
3. Motivates early start to your day