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Anecdotal, but managing through the pandemic has been significantly more challenging than in-office. Granted, we were working through a pandemic, so not really

by borski 5y ago

Anecdotal, but managing through the pandemic has been significantly more challenging than in-office. Granted, we were working through a pandemic, so not really WFH, but it did leave a bad taste in a lot of managers’ mouths because people keep advocating for WFH, without making that distinction. So when a manager hears WFH, and this is that, there’s no way. But distinguishing WFH from “work through pandemic” would likely be a lot more effective.

MuffinFlavored 5y ago
> has been significantly more challenging Can you elaborate? when you say managing, do you mean like... it's harder to get ahold of people to be around to get stuff done?
- borski 5y ago
  One of the main issues is that there is no longer the opportunity to 'overhear' things. You can make arguments all day for things to be written down more, develop a culture of it, etc., but there is still a lot of value from people who are working on different things shooting the shit at lunch, because they help each other learn, it improves team morale, etc. Also, specifically because of the pandemic, "WFH" has left a bad taste in a lot of managers' mouths, because EVERYONE HAS GOT PROBLEMS right now. That has nothing to do with WFH, but everyone is calling it WFH, so that is now what WFH means - stuck at home, no ability to go out, miserable because your kids are at home and/or your SO and/or your family, no social interaction (or minimal) with your team or anyone else, etc. That isn't what WFH means, but that is what a lot of people now think it means.
stackbutterflow 5y ago
Every complaint about remote work at scale should be taken with some caution. It's possible that managing remote employees is not more difficult in itself but is more challenging right now because we evolved from a WFO (work form office) world. So you as a manager have been exposed to fewer real life examples/books/online discussions/blog articles/talks with friends and family/ about managing remote teams. Virtually every executive, manager, leader in our current world has been selected by their ability to lead people who are in office. My opinion is that we are in a transient state. We need to come up with new processes, ala Agile but for remote teams. We need invent new forms of managements, of organizations that scale with a remote first policy.
- borski 5y ago
  I agree with you completely. I also think that isn't going to happen, at least any time soon.

by borski 5y ago

MuffinFlavored 5y ago

> has been significantly more challenging Can you elaborate? when you say managing, do you mean like... it's harder to get ahold of people to be around to get stuff done?

borski 5y ago
One of the main issues is that there is no longer the opportunity to 'overhear' things. You can make arguments all day for things to be written down more, develop a culture of it, etc., but there is still a lot of value from people who are working on different things shooting the shit at lunch, because they help each other learn, it improves team morale, etc. Also, specifically because of the pandemic, "WFH" has left a bad taste in a lot of managers' mouths, because EVERYONE HAS GOT PROBLEMS right now. That has nothing to do with WFH, but everyone is calling it WFH, so that is now what WFH means - stuck at home, no ability to go out, miserable because your kids are at home and/or your SO and/or your family, no social interaction (or minimal) with your team or anyone else, etc. That isn't what WFH means, but that is what a lot of people now think it means.

stackbutterflow 5y ago

Every complaint about remote work at scale should be taken with some caution. It's possible that managing remote employees is not more difficult in itself but is more challenging right now because we evolved from a WFO (work form office) world. So you as a manager have been exposed to fewer real life examples/books/online discussions/blog articles/talks with friends and family/ about managing remote teams. Virtually every executive, manager, leader in our current world has been selected by their ability to lead people who are in office. My opinion is that we are in a transient state. We need to come up with new processes, ala Agile but for remote teams. We need invent new forms of managements, of organizations that scale with a remote first policy.

borski 5y ago
I agree with you completely. I also think that isn't going to happen, at least any time soon.