Back-to-office
2 min read
One year of pandemic. One year without an office.
We at interactive tools have been practising and enjoying the principle of working from home for many years now. But not being allowed into the office at all – that was a completely new experience for us too. An experience that brought a lot of good with it, but also taught us that home cannot replace all the benefits of the office. It draws us back.
I want to separate family and work again and not experience everything in parallel at the same time.
Our radius of movement between desk, coffee machine and toilet is welcome to grow again. The time when supposed breaks were used for laundry and vacuuming may well be over. We want to reclaim other things that are perhaps even more important.
Of course it's unusual not to get up just 15 minutes before the first meeting any more. But our experience is: once you've overcome the initial hurdles – setting an earlier alarm, for example, or cycling or taking public transport through the city – you actually start looking forward to the office.
I commute to work so that I at least move twice a day.
Getting some fresh air and moving on the way to work, walking into the office: it's invigorating. We rediscover familiar faces of colleagues or meet new ones in person for the first time. Social interactions were often left by the wayside while working from home, and getting them back simply feels great.
In the office we find calm and can work with focus. No neighbours collecting their parcels. No children needing help with homework. Instead, colleagues who are there for a quick chat – even without a Teams message beforehand.
Together we can find pragmatic solutions spontaneously, instead of mulling things over alone for ages.
Consciously enjoying breaks, finding lunch partners in the office, spending the lunch break together. We haven't forgotten how important shared time in the team is. It makes us happy, motivates us, lets us feel the company culture, creates a sense of connection and gives us new space for creative development.
It's balm for the socially distanced soul: the many lovely chance encounters and short conversations with people in person.
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And actually heading home at the end of the day feels so much better than just closing the laptop and changing rooms. That way, a family evening on the sofa becomes an event to look forward to again.
Your contact person
- Anne Geissler
People & Organisationsynaigy
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Your contact person
- Anne Geissler
People & Organisationsynaigy
Show phone numberShow email address