Last month, I went to the office for the first time in more than a year. It was a joy to see colleagues and a novelty not to make my own lunch. But after a while I wanted to go home again — because I had to get some work done.
Office buildings were designed for people to work in. Our hastily constructed home “offices” (mine is a small desk in the corner of the bedroom) were not. Yet I don’t think I am the only one to find I can do some elements of my job more effectively from home — a fact that tells us something important about the design of the 21st-century office.
I am not an office refusenik. In fact, I am a fan. There is a slew of evidence to show how important it is for colleagues to gather in person. Without the office, we don’t bump into colleagues we haven’t seen for a while when making a cup of tea, or overhear conversations that spark new ideas or plans to collaborate. I realise I miss colleagues I never even worked with directly.