I ventured into the office for the first time in a long time recently and I noticed just how different working in the office is compared to working from home.
Firstly there is no privacy. Alone in my home office, I can take any call or Teams meeting at my desk without being overheard or disturbed. In the office, you need to pre-book a meeting room to do this.
Secondly, there are a lot of interruptions in the office. People at your desk catching up, making coffee or pulling you into impromptu meetings. On the plus side, you do get to hear what is going on in other departments in real-time. There is an energy in the office which is positive, encouraging and welcoming. Challenges can be resolved very quickly with the right people around a desk in just a few minutes. You get a better perspective of what is going on across the whole business in the office. You can read people a lot better in person and pick your moment better.
In the heart of the office you can visually see the culture. 'Customer First' as phones are answered and emails replied to as a priority. The way the team collaborates to assist partners and support them. Training people from home has been great to a degree. We can teach the job, processes, and systems but culture is something that needs to be observed and absorbed I think.
I read a piece on LinkedIn recently which said that working from home can be damaging as you learn from others and it is easier to do this in an office environment working closely with experts.
I do find that I get a lot more work done at home, working longer hours with no travelling time and fewer interruptions.
At Jola, we have implemented a flexible working policy. Some teams choose to be in the office every day, others 3 days a week and some prefer to work remotely. We are aware of some of the benefits and challenges and hope we have found the right balance.
Jola is a wholesale provider of business communications specialising in mobile data. Jola is an award-winning, channel-only supplier of business communications, specialising in mobile data SIMs. We are a global eSIM MVNO, providing innovative IoT and mobile data solutions to MSPs, ISPs, IT Support companies and Telecommunications Resellers. We help partners to uncover and win new opportunities but also help the to reduce churn by increasing ARPU. To find out more, request our Partner Pack.
