Like almost everybody, I work from home since mid-March. I had done it before, when we moved abroad I could finish my projects working from home. At the end of the day I had to call someone, for some social interaction. Also, I remember how efficient it was, having less distraction or meetings that weren’t related to the projects.
So, in March, I didn’t need much to settle to a new rhythm. I do a project with a not very technology-oriented organization, so it was interesting to observe my colleagues learning to use Zoom and finding home-work balance (especially difficult for those with children). We agreed to “talk” every morning online and helped each other with the tools. I think we all learned new digital skills (myself included). Even the project wasn’t delayed as much as I feared. Most of my colleagues look very much forward to the day that we can get back to the office. I have mixed feelings. As much as I miss the chatting, coffee breaks and lunches with my colleagues, I don’t miss the commute to Amsterdam (one hour by train). It saves me a lot of time and I can sleep longer, which is an advantage as well.
I read a (Dutch) study that shows similar results. Many workers would prefer to keep on working from home because it saves them travel time (68%) and the flexibility in spending time (61%). People that want to go back to the office, say that they miss their colleagues (59%), they benefit from the change of environment (39%) and are more focused in the office (35%).
Managers probably had to go through a change as well, mainly in trust. Before, one of the main reasons for not allowing people to work from home, is that they didn’t trust work would get done. Now, there was no choice. And, surprise, work got done! In my project, we lost a week because we all had to get settled in our home office and then we continued our work. It’s just too bad we couldn't celebrate the finalization of the project. We celebrated it virtually, but it doesn’t feel the same. Some things are not the same on a distance!