In the public sphere, we understand there is an underlying norm about what should happen (“I should show up to this meeting prepared”). We self-regulate on the basis of anticipated consequences of going against that norm.
Accountability is really just expecting you might have to justify your actions to others in relation to a preexisting norm. And it works.
Accountability systems (making behavior public) have been shown to work within voting, school attendance, handwashing, charity donation, and many other domains. In Ely, Iowa, voters were told that if they didn’t vote, their names would be published in the newspaper. This drove voting rates up by 6.9%. A YMCA told their members how much their peers were going to the gym. They then told these members that their attendance would be publicized next month. This increased attendance by 17% to 23%.
This article seems to be gaining traction in certain circles in this remote worker environment. But underneath the psychobabble this strikes me as the ranting from a micromanaging tyrant who is peeved that their people remain productive despite the boss' physical absence. What these types of managers want is to retain control (or worse, for senior management to realize the tyrant is not needed...), so the "advice" is a corporate virtual big brother system that reinforce the "need" for the tyrant boss..
I am less productive on an hourly basis at home.
But put in more hours working from home.
So probably a wash.
Actually, my son’s boss told them that they were more productive working from home and that when things reopen, he doesn’t see any reason they can’t do that a day or two a week going forwards.
There are things they need to do to be in the office for, but if people are working a day or two a week, they can just schedule who’s going to be in the office when and avoid overcrowding.
I have no problem remaining productive or motivated.
IF we could take the chinavirus away and life was otherwise normal, wfh would be a dream come true.
I wrote my Master’s degree thesis on teleworking back in the early 2000s. I proposed that teleworking, now colloquially known as “Working from Home,” is a net gain for employers due to flexibility afforded to workers and the reduced facility costs for employers. In the years since, my thesis still stands, and there are more and more studies performed every year that bear this out.
This article is garbage and neglects to expand for things such as work hour flexibility, work/life balance, and remote workforce enablement.
Sure. For lazy people.
Doesn’t a great deal depend on what the workers are supposed to be “producing”?
I would add that what appear to be changed habits at work result from the desire of employees to be paid: if they don't toe the line, they get fired and don't get paid (unemployment insurance notwithstanding).
Other than the intrusiveness of the suggestions or articles such as this one, a horribly dangerous trend is the one just begun (yet again), to pay people even when they're not working. For a long period of time.
If I were Kristen Berman’s boss, I’d be checking in on her often and setting specific assignments with timelines.
My office went from time cards and micromanaging every 15 minutes of the day to flex time and eventually work from home. We got more done with fewer employees with work from home.
Our field is medical. And it's something I don't want to ever have to go through again. You become fond of your patients and when you're not seeing them on a regular basis, it takes a lot out of you. To say nothing of the benefit of seeing your coworkers and knowing they've got your back and you've got theirs.
Working from home is perfectly fine for some people. For others, it's a very unique kind of outer circle of Hell.
I am more productive at home. Since going remote the only way to contact me is via email.
People aren’t calling me up to tell me 5ere life story or promise me something they’ve owed me for some time with a litany of excuses as to why it isn’t done and taking twenty minutes of my time for a thirty seconded yes/no question.
People aren’t stopping in my office door, staying behind at meetings to discuss, etc.
Ii have a lot more control on basic communication and can better focus complex tasks that take a couple of hours.
The only thing I truly miss is being able to bounce into my boss’ offices and run something by them.
Well it’s accurate. Last week “at” work was slow. Devs weren’t getting many builds out. In the office when it’s like that I’m usually in communication with the Devs, helping them solve problems, cause we have that proximity so we can spontaneously talk. Now that we’re living in remote land, that’s not so convenient. By Wednesday I was kicking on the couch reading, I still had Teams and Outlook up, so if something interesting happened I’d find out. But it didn’t. Friday I did my grocery shopping way early, opened a beer by 12:30 and that was it.
I am way more productive working from home. When I have to go back to the main office in DC none of my regular work gets done; I spent my time in meetings and running around the building chasing down lost paperwork.
Plus, I’m not an easy target for a drive-by tasking when I’m 2000 miles away.
If we shut down for China Virus will there now be a ZERO TOLERANCE rule enforced at jobs where if you have a sniffle, sneeze, or cough you are sent home?
I know at one employer that was the attitude even if you were working in your own office with the door closed.
“And it works.”
To continue your point, he defines “it works” in a way that misses the point, which ought to be something like sustainable productivity, profitability and the bottom line. Micromanagement does work at forcing, temporarily, a targeted behavior. So does thumb screws. “It works” is not necessarily a measure of success.
What enables successful business owners and corporate leaders to succeed? I don’t think “peer pressure”, “fear of shame” or “threat of punishment” would be near the top of anyone’s list. How are their employees different?
Saving 10 hours a week in commuting time is a big win.
I think the virus is revealing that much of America’s “Office Space” style office work is not really necessary at all. Never mind the work at home option - there won’t be a lot of office work left at all in a lot of companies.
On a thread a few weeks ago, a FReeper posted that the reason some companies don’t like “work from home” is that in some cases, the bosses at work are little dictators who like to lord it over the worker bees. They can’t strut around and act lordly if the serfs are not there to see it. It’s that was with the narcissistic little prick I work for.
I work for a very large company (100,000+) employees, and my team, and my manager, and my manager’s manager all work from home from the very beginning. If there is someone who doesn’t fit in with that setup he is weeded out pretty quickly, and before long you have a functioning team. I have also been free to help my own cause because I am in fact more productive at my job with a 43” screen instead of the laptop screen they provide me. Since I enjoy the benefits of the screen for my work on the side, and my own personal use, the money was well spent, even though the company didn’t spring for it. I am so glad I can live anywhere in the U.S. and not have to deal with a city commute. That more than compensates for the fact that the company does not pay top dollar.