Oddbean new post about login | logout Nick Bloom of Stanford, probably the world authority on data-driven studies of the impact of remote work, delivers what is so far the definitive assessment of whether or not it’s a good idea. Short answer: it can do wonders. Both hybrid and remote work, work. But they require the right management and tools. Managers who don’t know how to manage remote workers can ruin the experience for everyone. https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/4228100-does-working-from-home-damage-productivity-just-look-at-the-data/ https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/111/155/464/347/243/041/original/ea4c75a5d32bf41a.jpeg
@ca5977db i think also it’s useful to use the data to tell better stories, rather than saying data is better than stories, as this excerpt seems to suggest. at the end of the day, we’re all story-driven humans, and that’s what changes minds
@ca5977db I just don't like the framing of the article though. Workplace strategy changes how people work. That can raise organizational productivity in some cases and lower it in others, but it's not just about management - it's about matching those patterns to the type of work and changing it over time. Bloom occasionally gets at that in some of his talks, but he never emphasizes it otherwise to the detriment of the overall conversation
@ca5977db managing a WFH team, my concerns are: 1. Building the team and culture 2. Enabling collective creativity 3. Ensuring ergonomic working practices (i.e good chairs, time away from the screen) It certainly isn't productivity. Nevertheless good article amongst the tidal wave of anti-WFH drivel.
@ca5977db Inconclusive article with no specifics about how to manage remote teams. During COVID I worked hard from home. I could have been doing that since 2018, as everyone I work with is not in the office and our communications are via phone or email. We returned to the office. No need to work as hard to prove anything. Just being in the office is accepted as evidence of working. "We work from work (not from home)" ruins motivation and the productivity that goes along. Oh, well. :-)
