As people began working remotely, the resounding question became “what day is it?” Every day felt like every other day – and soon it didn’t matter. Juggling family, clients, and bosses became as new skillset. Zoom sessions, as serious as they were intended, often included pets and kids needing to go to the potty.
The pandemic caused a mass exodus – offices closed and kitchens became workspace. As we adjusted to this new blended work-style, traditional schedules went out the window. Getting everything done was the new mission.
Even for entrepreneurs, the division between the house and the office – became blurred – and attitudes toward work shifted as well.
With the advent of remote working, the pressure to compete and logging long hours has been replaced by focused productivity. Truth is, most people are not “working” the same hours they used to, and surely not working as many hours. In spite of that, 76% of companies have reported that remote work has either helped or had no effect on employee productivity.
When this pandemic passes, offices will reopen, full-time remote work may fade, and human interaction will reemerge as an important facet of companies.
But it’s likely that one lasting effect will be a newfound realization that output, not hours, is what counts in business. And that technology exists to free us to spend more time with family – pursuing interests and happiness.
It seems that it took a pandemic for us to realize that possibility.
