ONE WAY of characterizing the brilliant performance of any star, say in the basketball court or the ballet stage, is to describe it as “just another day at the office.” The ability to provide a consistently high level of performance is admired for its being as predictable as office hours.
Even with the new normal, where working from home has become an option, there are still organizations that require physical presence in a designated workplace at a designated time, like a hotel, hospital, restaurant, city hall, or a bank, even when this has increased its online penetration.
Still, for most human endeavors, an “office” (or a designated venue for providing service or the exercise of a profession) provides the needed separation between work and life. The home is a nesting place with the family, and has its own demands for nurturing and “turning off” the stresses and petty politics of work… for other kinds of pressures.
What does the office provide beyond just an address in the calling card and a designated enclosure assigned to an individual or one he has access to, in the case of a hoteling arrangements where the assigned work space is not fixed?
Here are some attributes of the office that enhance the quality of work.
There are benefits in having a set of people with a common goal and interdependent functions in one place, even if socially distanced. The corporate culture of an organization is defined by how the individuals work together as a team. The inside jokes, nicknames of people (usually the higher-ups), celebration of rituals, reading body language and sharing a common objective tie the group together to promote the possibility that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Tribal memory resides in the group, when it is together, as one experience broadens perspectives on a certain issue — we had a client like that once, and we just decided to charge him more for our services. Even newcomers bring in something, maybe a new vocabulary and digital skills. Only in a shared space, over coffee and doughnuts, can unexpected ideas come up, some of them useful.
Work habits are formed by modeling. The stars pull up everyone’s aspirations. Is mentoring possible if everyone is in a different place? The casual insight or “management by nitpicking” — this needs a little more detail on industry practices, can improve the herd.
There is a value system imposed by the office in terms of punctuality, proper attire, and ethical handling of clients. The formal and sometimes informal (time for coffee break at the pantry) practices affect the quality of output, exceeding the expectations of clients. Informal meetings over lunch improve bonding… with limits.
Maybe the characterization of the office as a place of stress, much like a gym but without flattening the abs, has elicited hosannas for home work. After the initial surge of enthusiasm for avoiding heavy traffic, dressing down for work, waking up later, and going for an output-based performance rating, the romance can fade away. What happened to work-life balance? Is there still a boundary between livelihood and living? When do I relax and take off my shoes… if I’m not wearing any?
The office needs to regain its function in defining work as a team effort that requires physical presence and coordination — do you have a minute? I need to consult you on damage control.
The stresses of waking up early, planning the commute, dressing up, and even preparing the lunch box, elevate the importance of what needs to be done at the office and whose help is needed.
Maybe, the office is a stage set.
After the play is written, the producer looks for his cast, stage designer, orchestra, lighting director, costume designer and his project head, the director himself. And all these separate moving parts need to get together at some point inside the theater to see if the play hangs together and connects to the audience. Is it possible for all, or even most of the players in this project, to work from home? Where’s the drama?
Anyway, just try out the eponymous expression. Will it work as well if one hails an excellent performance by a master as “just another day at home”? Okay, you probably need a footnote for that one.
Tony Samson is Chairman and CEO, TOUCH xda
