The Value of Together
I’m absolutely pro integrating a healthy balance between in-person and remote working. However, we need to stop exaggerating the equality of full remote vs. in person productivity.
We need to acknowledge the opportunity cost that comes with remote working cultures. Let’s put it into a sports analogy for fun.
Spring Training Baseball Team A:
Each practices and trains independently and uploads photos, videos and journals of their efforts with the entire team on a daily basis. The team does a group chat twice a week to discuss how training is going.
Spring Training Baseball Team B:
Practices together in a typical Spring training format. The team is together everyday from the moment they hit the field until the morning they leave the park. The games they are playing are realistic simulations of exactly how their season will be played out. They never use technology — at all.
Which team has the best likelihood of success?
I believe Team B has the greater chance of success.
Why you ask?
- Emotional Intelligence/Empathy:
They’re able to develop deeper, more personal relationships that will come into play as the season goes along and people hit road-blocks and struggles and need to be supported. They’d also get the benefit of knowing the nuance of how that person wants to be supported.
2. Establishing Your Rhythm
There’s a flow to the things that we do when working, and understanding peoples rhythm/pace preferences can make a big difference in your productivity when collaborating on a task.
2. Exponential Insight Feedback
It’s awesome to have a practice of self-reflection and documenting your process, but there’s a unique opportunity for exponential insights through just-in time contextual feedback. This can accelerate your process and awareness for future c
You may say this is an unfair analogy and that “sports is different from work”. But there’s deeper narratives at play here.
I’m hoping that we don’t get to the point that we’ve convinced ourselves that physically working, living, thinking and being together isn’t valuable.
Design the Relationships The Define Your Impact.
Jason is the founder and Managing Director of You X Ventures.
You X Ventures works with Industry Leaders a Product Design & Training Partners. We solution and build products that foster meaningful relationships with your customers, stakeholders and communities.
