I’ve found myself in a few debates about working from home over the last few years. Overall, I’m an advocate for going into the workplace, however, I appreciate ultimately the balance is dependent on an individual’s circumstances.
I’ve had a few people tell me this week that they’ve learned new things from me and that has motivated me to write this blog.
If you are in the first 5 years of your career, I recommend going into the workplace as much as possible for the following reasons:
1. Riding the learning curve – in your early career you will be learning at a rapid rate. A large proportion of this learning will by osmosis. That is, learning from your wider environment and the colleagues around you.
Soft skills are developed through real world practise. How to lead a meeting, present, have presence, communicate effectively, use body language etc. I think the underlying mechanics of working from home are probably the same reason why babies don’t learn how to communicate by looking at screens. They need interaction with real people.
There will also be a lot of knowledge transmission, including through of-the-cuff interactions. This will include specialist knowledge, IT and productivity tips, life planning, finances etc.
A lot of the key knowledge I picked up in my early career was through random conversation with older colleagues about things like finances, pensions, career progression and general life advice. These would not have happened if I was working from home, as you miss the triggers that spark these conversations.
If you are working from home a large proportion of the time, then you are likely forgoing a big opportunity to develop.
2. Standing out from the crowd, being visible and networking– with more people working from home now, if you are in more often you will actually stand out as someone who is keen to learn and develop from others.
One of the biggest lessons I learned early on is the benefit of being visible. I’ve had a lot of opportunities come my way simply because I was more visible than others – literally.
In addition, senior colleagues are less likely to work from home, so you will have more opportunity to network with them and others.
3. Leaders don’t work from home – leaders understand that they have to inspire others. I’m yet to meet a single leader who finds this easier to do virtually. Yes, there may be some days when you just need to frantically get through the to-do list – these are the days to work from home.
The majority of the time you should be in the workplace reflecting on how you are developing in the four broad aspects of leadership:
- Traits
- Skills
- Behaviours
- Situations
I’ve written more about this here.
Barriers
I also have a few thoughts on some of the main barriers:
1. I save money – I agree a day in the office does typically come at a greater expense than staying at home. There are ways to minimise it, but overall it is better viewed as an investment in your development.
This will also encourage you to make the most of the opportunity as you should want to get your money’s worth! Speak to people, ask for help, shadow a senior colleague, hawkishly observe all the high performing people and reflect on their behaviours.
If you’re looking to make serious career gains, don’t think about the cost of a daily commute. Think about what you want to earn over a 5-year period (and especially over your career) and how you can maximise the benefits of going to the workplace to achieve this.
2. I don’t work with my team – this is a common one. Ideally you would be working with your team in person. If not, you should always find people to sit with, whether they are in your team or not. This is a great opportunity to meet new people outside of your team and learn from them. People don’t mind sitting next to others they don’t work with, especially when they are greeted with ‘good morning’ and a smile.
3. I hate the commute – I sympathise with this one the most! I cycle to work because I also hate public transport. Luckily, you can be productive on your commute by listening to podcasts, reading etc. It’s never going to be as comfortable as walking to your desk at home, but working from home days can be used strategically to make things easier. Also, there is the good old strategy of avoiding the rush hours.
Like going to the gym regularly, you need to have a good routine, consistency and actually make the most of being there. You won’t get fit by going to the gym and not using any machines or weights. Similarly, you won’t make gains by going into work and sitting in the corner all day.
As someone who is advocating coming into work, I also appreciate my responsibility to inspire colleagues and contribute to a rich learning environment.
To add one last fun element to the mix, getting sunlight in the morning has a lot of benefits. You’re probably more likely to get sunlight in the morning if you leave to go to work.
If I’ve encouraged anyone to go into the office more and you’re near Westminster, give me a shout and let’s get a coffee in person 😊.