Standing outside the fast lane, I am reading that big companies are leasing enormous and expensive office spaces for their employees. When I read that a tech company is leasing the top six floors of a beautiful, new high-rise in a city, I think it is a safe bet that company expects to see their employees in those offices. That company is not leasing first-class office space so that their employees can work from a kitchen table in their homes.
When the pandemic arrived, a significant number of people began working from home, “Zooming” with colleagues and drawing on a considerable amount of familiar and emerging technology to make work, well, work from home. Early into all of that, I retired, in keeping with a plan in place before Covid-19 hit the fan. So, I am no expert on what that experience has been for those who have worked from home all or part of the time for the past couple of years.
Out riding on my bicycle this morning, I was thinking about how I would want to work these days if I were a full-time employee. Would I be disappointed to know that I would have to return to “the office” full-time? Would I hope to work out some sort of deal so that I could work at home some days and in the office on other days?
I did not have to wonder for long. I would want to be “in the office” more days than not. Perhaps, I would take one day each week to work at home on a particular assignment requiring extraordinary focus.
For 30 years, I worked in Wake Forest University’s Communications and External Relations office. My job was full-time, but if you worked anywhere around me, you knew that I routinely worked well beyond full-time.
When I retired, I participated in a Zoom retirement event in my honor. When it came time for me to speak, I stressed how grateful I was to have worked with so many hardworking, interesting, kind and warm people. Much of my work involved collaborating with such people in my office, as well as across the University. And, I loved that aspect of it.
We collaborated on big University initiatives. We achieved goals that required challenging ourselves and one another to stretch professionally, with the result being that we were exhilarated by our achievements. We often announced exciting news, but there were sad announcements, too. Through it all, my colleagues and I formed bonds that keep several of us connected to this day. Shared experiences bring us together, I have learned.
I would not have wanted to miss working directly with my colleagues. In person. I am not saying we needed to do everything face to face, day in and day out. But, regularly working together was special.
When I retired, I missed the people the most. I loved my work, even the responsibilities that prompted stressful long days and nights. But, I surely enjoyed the people with whom I worked side by side.
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