Life Without The Breakroom

-


A lot of advice is circulating around online about how to manage working from home. The lists include genuinely useful tips, like keeping a regular schedule, staying hydrated, taking breaks, and having a designated work space. That's all very important. An element that I see missing from many lists is the social aspect. Now, I don't go to work to socialize, but spending at least 8 waking hours per day in the office means that's where most of my life is spent, so it's going to happen. It's part of being human, and it's helpful on so many levels to know the people you work with. There's also the serendipity that happens, when people cross paths in the hall and realize that they have answers or assistance to provide on a given project. Working from home, as so many of us are during the COVID-19 pandemic, means that this aspect of work is severely reduced. Here are some tips for restoring at least some of it.

First, I've taken to doing individual check-ins with people that I'm not actively working with on projects, but with whom I have worked. Also on this list are people I generally chatted with at the office, regardless of whether we'd ever been on projects together. This little bit of contact certainly makes me feel better. Just a few lines back and for and then on with the rest of the day, but it gives me a boost. I started doing this when I realized that a non-work 'hello' from another co-worker had been a bright spot in my day.

Second, keeping a group chat open for something like 'shenanigans' is a great idea. My team has one, though I don't see it used as frequently as it could be. In times past a number of us from various teams maintained one that was solely for frivolity. It never took up much 'productivity time,' and was a nice aside to the use stressors of the day. While this might not be appealing to everyone, with the right combination of people it can be helpful for keeping a positive mood.

Third, a video conference can be an option. As I write this I realize that many might already have their fill of video meetings, and I get it. I use a headset on such calls to improve sound quality (input and output), and there comes a point I have to give my ears a break from being pressed against my head. That said, I've also been part of an occasional 30 minute call that a co-worker arranged just for some of us to relax and socialize. No work conversation is permitted, and we've mostly commiserated about life with social distancing and working from home. When I look at my calendar and see it's coming up, I feel a little sense of relief.

Those are my suggestions to make up for the missing social element in remote working. As time progresses we'll all surely have to adapt and come up with further strategies to make this work. 

Popular posts from this blog

The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor and Power in the Age of Automation (Book Review)

-
Image
In his compelling book, " The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation ," Carl Benedikt Frey offers a sweeping examination of the historical and ongoing impact of mechanization and automation on society. Starting with the onset of the first Industrial Revolution, Frey deftly navigates through the evolution of technology up to the modern age of artificial intelligence, presenting a nuanced view of how technological innovations have reshaped labor markets and power dynamics. Frey categorizes technological innovations into two types: enabling technologies, like the typewriter, which enhance worker productivity without displacing the labor force, and replacing technologies, such as robotic machinery in factories, which eliminate certain job roles altogether. This distinction forms the backbone of Frey’s analysis, as he explores the varying implications of each type of technology on different segments of the workforce. The book traces a historical patter
Read more

The Dual Faces of Technology: Enhancing and Replacing Jobs

-
Image
Automation has been on my mind a lot lately, more immediately due to a book I read , but also because of the looming reality of artificial intelligence. To understand what's involved, making the distinction between replacing technologies and enabling technologies is crucial. As we traverse the timeline of the 20th century, we observe how each type of technology has distinctly influenced employment. Automated technologies have transformed industries by replacing manual labor with machines. Consider the automated switchboards introduced in the early 20th century. Previously, telephone operators manually connected calls using physical connectors on a switchboard. With the advent of automated switchboards in the 1920s and 1930s, many of these jobs were eliminated as calls were routed through electromechanical systems. Similarly, in agriculture, the introduction of mechanical harvesters like the combine harvester in the 1930s drastically reduced the need for manual labor. These machine
Read more

Streaming Services Pivot: From Growth to Retention and Beyond

-
In a recent episode of the Retention Zone podcast (embedded below), media industry veteran Titus Bicknell shed light on the changing priorities within the video streaming sector. Having worked alongside Bicknell at AMC Networks for nearly two years, I have always held a deep appreciation for his insights, which offer a window into an industry undergoing significant shifts from aggressive subscriber acquisition to nuanced strategies aimed at retaining valuable customers. The Evolution of Subscriber Priorities Bicknell, a pioneer of mobile video in the early 2000s, has witnessed first-hand the explosive growth of the streaming market, particularly between 2015 and 2020. However, the focus, he notes, has crucially shifted. It’s no longer about amassing subscribers indiscriminately. "It's not any sub is a good sub," he remarked during the podcast. This reflects a deeper understanding within the industry that not all subscribers are beneficial for the business's bottom li
Read more