In early 2020, I felt scared that COVID-19 was going to ruin my advisory practice and de-rail Elements. The software was just taking shape in my mind, and everything felt really fragile. I couldn't go to my favorite restaurant or to Jazz games, and I had to cancel the six hour Harry Potter musical I booked in London for our wedding anniversary. For a time, vacation would be moving from my home office desk to my favorite chair in the bedroom.
Building a virtual firm - I think about all of this for the distant future. How to build a team remotely, and feel like you know who these people are? How to build a culture remotely? And how not to fall into that productivity trap, and just let work *be*. Interesting stuff to think through, appreciate seeing how you’re thinking about it.
I do miss the random conversations when I worked in office with people. It’s causing me to seek more in person time with friends/people outside of work.
I think there are a couple of other things going on there -
1) It's easy to get into a trap of believing time is scarce and must be used "productively" when you have SO MANY possible things you can do with it, all of which have super high rewards. I think we begin to have disordered affections (look up the Jesuit term) when we place the monetary value of our time, or some other emphasis on "productivity" above *relationships*.
2) Is there a generational difference in *desire* and value place on in-person connection? (Face it, Reese, we're Elder Millenials - aka "old"!)
I, too, miss in-person office culture -- though not what it was pre-2020, but rather something not-yet-imagined, that is more playful, supportive, collaborative, and human. If you build it, they will come!
p.s. What did you learn from/about your female colleague(s?) on your offsite day that you couldn't have learned any other way?
Building a virtual firm - I think about all of this for the distant future. How to build a team remotely, and feel like you know who these people are? How to build a culture remotely? And how not to fall into that productivity trap, and just let work *be*. Interesting stuff to think through, appreciate seeing how you’re thinking about it.
I do miss the random conversations when I worked in office with people. It’s causing me to seek more in person time with friends/people outside of work.
I think there are a couple of other things going on there -
1) It's easy to get into a trap of believing time is scarce and must be used "productively" when you have SO MANY possible things you can do with it, all of which have super high rewards. I think we begin to have disordered affections (look up the Jesuit term) when we place the monetary value of our time, or some other emphasis on "productivity" above *relationships*.
2) Is there a generational difference in *desire* and value place on in-person connection? (Face it, Reese, we're Elder Millenials - aka "old"!)
I, too, miss in-person office culture -- though not what it was pre-2020, but rather something not-yet-imagined, that is more playful, supportive, collaborative, and human. If you build it, they will come!
p.s. What did you learn from/about your female colleague(s?) on your offsite day that you couldn't have learned any other way?