The Office is Dying: Its Time to Rethink How We Work

[Sympthsical]

21. I blatantly go grocery shopping during meetings.

I'm mostly WFH, although I do go in sometimes when various things have to be done in person.

Our meetings are camera optional. If I'm running a meeting, yeah, I'm at my computer so I have lots of various materials or the ability to look something up at my fingertips. But if I know it's a meeting where I am literally there as a warm audio body and don't have to give any input unless specifically asked, I'll totally bounce around. Pop the ear buds in and go run an errand.

However, what I am is efficient. I'm usually up by 4:30 or 5, do gym stuff, then clearing out mails, filling out and filing things, and generally doing various tasks that I know need to be done that day. I'm often done with the rote stuff by 9 am. The rest of my day is just answering various things, phone calls, meetings, etc.

I oversee employees, and my philosophy is always, "I don't care what you do as long as what needs to be done is done. And don't call or text me after 6pm unless there's a body."

It's allowed me to go back to school full time. Because I do so much before actual office hours, a lot of my day is just me sitting there doing my homework. I love it, and my boss has never complained that something wasn't completed properly.

My partner is also mostly WFH and attends work meetings while driving, and I hate that so much.

Productivity meters remind me of the Black Mirror episode with Daniel Kaluuya, where everything was measured by how long you pedaled aimlessly on a bike to earn money.