WFH vs. In-office — what’s right for your business?
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic forced certain businesses into a remote working environment, many people began to wonder aloud, “Should remote workers be allowed to stay remote permanently?”
Hey, it’s a fair question. I get where some people are coming from in this, but I’ve got to tell you that it really, really depends on what kind of business you have.
For transparency, I’m opting not to keep our staff remote, and it’s because I believe that we can serve our clients better and lead our teams more effectively in an in-office environment.
We have the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to create a winning team environment — one that is aligned and customer-centric. This just works better in an in-office setting.
I believe that any business that can do this, should do this, and here are two important reasons why:
You can control the environment
Control = Results. What do I mean when I say that you can control the environment? I am referring to a perspective of leadership.
When you’re in a physical environment together with your team, you get to hear what conversations are being had with the clients, you get a feel for the group dynamic, and you have so many more opportunities to help and mentor and coach than you would if everyone was working in their own remote environment.
This is good for your team, too. When people are in proximity to leaders in the business, they can see the bigger picture and go farther because they are operating under the influence of those leaders. There’s a tangible relationship there. We’re not just boxes on a screen. We’re real people to each other, and that has a positive influence on how we work.
I want my team to be exposed to the other leaders in our organization. I want them to be positively influenced by their peers. When the nature of your work lives and dies by how well you can serve your customers, then an in-person environment is a must.
Here’s a really important aspect of in-office vs. WFH teams that tend to be forgotten in these conversations: When we’re at work, we’re at work. When we’re here at Cardone Ventures headquarters, everything is 10X all of the time.
We’re not throwing in some laundry between calls. We’re here and we’re focused on the mission at hand, and that mission is to help our clients achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals. In most of our home work environments, there are distractions.
Our aim is to work in an environment where there are as few distractions as possible. This isn’t about comfort. It’s not about work-life balance. It’s about total commitment to the mission, vision, and values of an organization designed to create financial freedom for the people whom we serve.
This isn’t something that can easily be done sitting at a home desk. Those moments when we’re in the office with the entire team that you can truly feel the energy in the room.
You can feel everyone pushing each other to bring their best to each and every decision, and it’s those moments that truly excite me. We’re creating and fostering an environment of excellence, and it’s in those moments that I know we’re doing something truly special.
How would I ever get this feeling if we were all working from home? I’m not sure that we would.
You can create alignment
Creating team alignment, setting priorities, and taking action on those priorities all tend to work better in person. You have the team’s undivided attention, they’re participating in the conversation, and you’re all walking away with the same understanding of what’s to come.
The ability to do these things in an office setting really cannot be matched. As impressive as remote work technology is, there are just too many distractions and too many ways for any one of us to disengage from the task at hand. I want to feel the energy in the room, and I want my team to feel that energy, too.
This way, I have confidence in moving forward because I know my team has the confidence they need to solve problems, serve our customers, and kick more ass.
So, should everyone work from home for good? I don’t think so. Not if you want to move quickly to scale your business, create a thriving team culture, and have absolute assurance that your customers are being served in alignment with your company’s mission.
Want to learn more about team alignment? Then you need to download my Alignment Guide! It’s free, but it’s worth so much more. Download the Alignment Guide now!