Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorite authors, has an interesting viewpoint on working from home. In summary, he just says, stop working from home. “we want you to have a feeling of belonging, and to feel necessary. If you're not here it's really hard to do that.” Full article here https://bit.ly/3JKxgXG
Like many of his books, I quickly understand his point of view and for the most part, agree. I really do feel bad for young people starting out their career without working from an office. I think they miss out on the camaraderie, being part of a team working for a unified goal, and positive talk that goes on around the water cooler. By just observing people who have been successful within your organization you can see the cadence they work at, the things coworkers do that make them successful or not, the real company culture (or why), ozmosis alone can put you years ahead.
So where may I disagree? I am 36 years into my career, for the last five years, I had been working from home. I have never been more productive, felt closer to my clients, and I have had the freedom to put clients first (that means clients before corporate).
My dog is now CEO, the sunrise is my alarm, and when I smell dinner cooking, it sometimes signals the end of the day (sometimes dinner is just a small break).
Ultimately, I think The benefit or disadvantage of working from home or office depends on what point you're in your career.
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