In 1989, I started working in a town 90 miles away from my home.  I drove in daily for the better part of 16 years.  My choice.  When I asked my supervisor if I could work from home once in a while, he said “We don’t have a telecommunications policy.”

Well ok then.  I guess I’ll continue to drive back and forth.

Fast forward 31 years…

For the last 2 months, if we didn’t have a large amount of work force working from home (WFH), we’d be in a literal world of hurt.  Today is far from perfect and we may not know how much economic damage has been done or when things return to anything close to what used to be.  This much is for certain:

•WFH will be more common from here forward

•Distance learning can be accomplished effectively

•Technology will continue to fill in the gaps discovered by this global pandemic

•Driving and flying will be considered an optional premium for many businesses

•Leaders can no longer expect that “no telecommunications policy” will be an effective reason employees need to be in the office everyday to demonstrate their value

Times are changing and leaders need to stay nimble, flexible, open-minded and focused on how to maximize value rather than simply collect talent in familiar places so they can see the whites of their eyes.

Qualifications:

Trust is earned not granted so it may take time to be allowed to work remotely.

Some types of business roles require physical interaction and WFH may not be possible.

I personally prefer a mix of WFH and face to face and believe balance is critical to function optimally.  Leaving the choice, when possible, up to the individual is best practice.

Have a blessed Memorial Day holiday weekend!