Considering WFH is more productive , attracts better talent, retains the last vestiges of existing talent, and considering commercial building costs makes RTO un-competitive .... does any of this make sense?
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@e5 Went through a similar over the past year; I’ve noticed myself becoming detached from people and social situations. Music has turned into a kind of coping tool for me. Sometimes I’ll put on headphones without even listening to anything, just to avoid conversation and create some space. Other times I’ll play the same song over and over again at an almost alarmingly loud volume, because it grounds me and blocks everything else out. Lately, music feels like the thing that keeps my mind moving when I’m feeling withdrawn and disconnected. That said, I try to limit myself at work to avoid looking too detached... Must be a thing around here.
What WFH made me realize....going into the office was BS for all of those years. I work in IT and most of us realized we could the same job or better at home during Covid. Plus, we could saves many hours a week driving, gas money, etc. and not looking at white walls all day.
I do my best in the zone work when I'm in an environment that is quiet, secluded and have noise cancelling headphones on playing music that is stimulating. It helps me focus. I don't need people disturbing me from my deliverables for unnecessary banter under guise of collaboration which affects my output. I need my boundaries respected. Not everyone is the same.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4
I do my best work when quiet, with dignity, and alone to concentrate on deep work through flow. If people can't respect why I find headphones or music conducive to my productivity, that should not be my issue. Collaboration should not be forced. Some of us have batteries to recharge. I know how I work best, and I proved it. It's not combative to ask others to not copy from my work or take credit. It's not arrogant to want space like before. It's not being unfriendly when someone is bothering you 24/7, using you as a personal think tank to survive their own roles. It's not fair. I like to download and listen to music locally while I work. Why is that so wrong? For me, when I go to the gym consistently, it was because I always brought my earphones with me. One time, I lost my earphones. I had the biggest set back until I found them. It helps and it works for me. I find it stimulating. I don't find the actions of leadership reasonable, accommodating, or productive for the companies benefit at all. There is collaboration, and this is not collaboration. Look at the ted talk, she discusses how introverts go to an island with an unpacked suitcase and come back to shore bearing gifts to share with all. I'm not introverted, I find myself an ambivert, but lately after traumatizing circumstances here, I have become more recluse. I blame Ford Motor Company.
Working remotely with disembodied voices over Teams doesn’t allow managers to flaunt their managerial status. You’re all equal.
That vexes them. They are sorely vexed.
@OP. You are missing the point BIG time, buddy. RTO is a completely functional strategy and a very good tool for collaboration. The way is being implemented by Ford is so WRONG that is causing more damage instead of helping with the situation.
I want you to imagine, or maybe to remember, how it was 6 years ago. Everyone was at the office, with their own desk, cabinets and monitors, in their assigned buildings with enough parking spaces. Work was delivered mostly in time, collaboration was possible and people mixed with others.
Is WFH better than RTO? Depends. For a lot of positions, WFH allows more flexibility and in turn, those employees produce more and for longer. However, there are teams and positions that require RTO. The problem here is the incompetence of the C-suite, that tries to paint everyone with the same brush, not realizing a company this big has very different sections, and requires different approaches for each.
BTW, those who say that WFH allows for employees not doing their jobs, or douple dipping with another remote position, let me remind you that we had people like that while we were in the office. A friend of my ex-LL5 spent most of his day watching YouTube videos and doing nothing to earn his keep. Some people were hardly in the office, some of them had another part time job, while others, like my ex-LL6, were doing personal stuff. The answer is always the same: bad management is the culprit, does not matter if RTO, nor WFH.
Bad management is also to blame in this chaotic RTO attempt, in the awful state of the company, and the upcoming layoffs. It is sad to see Ford now.
"I talked to several other CEO's, we have the data...." Not shared. It's all bullsh-t. They want people to quit, which I'm on the verge of. Managers are leaving because they were sold a bill of goods that was bs.
https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-13/remote-work-productivity.htm
“ Productivity increases as remote work increases across 61 detailed industries”
https://www.apollotechnical.com/working-from-home-productivity-statistics/
“ A study by Standford of 16,000 workers over 9 months found that working from home increase productivity by 13%”
No its definitely not sustainable but execs are going to waste an excessive amount of money and effort forcing it until they can't.
The only evidence that RTO is more productive is because its the way it's always been. Let's just do what we've always done....because its what we've always done. D-mb. What data do you have to say that WFH isn't an overall win? Executive preference? Unfortunately that appears to be a good enough reason for now simply because..well...reasons. However, as discussed many, many times here....lets look at ulterior motives. People getting fed up, or simply not being able to comply (more likely). Given the ham fisted results and logistics, my guess is the latter is the case.
Confrontations though? Really? That's another issue altogether. If you're going to get saucy with someone to the point where there's even a hint of shouting over a work seat? You win this one, you know why? Because smart people walk away and just keep records. Anyone and I mean anyone who steals space after people get there, or get into shouting matches over space should be walked out immediately. These people aren't adults, they are children who don't belong. While yes...the standard of adulthood should be applied without question, shame on leadership for creating an environment that brings out the worst in some of their not so stellar employees in the 1st place. That is all....
Not buying or selling, just curious for what evidence you have that WFH is more productive .... at Ford?