Face to Face Communication Still Matters. Are You Surprised?

I know face to face communication with coworkers and clients matters, yet Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s announcement that all employees now need to work in the office surprised me. Given Mayer’s appointment to the role at only 37 years old and pregnant with her first child, one might assume she would be an advocate for the flexible work/life balance for which so many parents of young children strive. This edict struck me as a significant step back in making the business world more hospitable for working parents.

Why the Step Back?

Why the shift in thinking from the groovy, laissez-faire, work-from-home-in-sweatpants culture to the must-be-in-the-office lockdown? It turns out Mayer is obsessed with data and the data supporting the benefits of telecommuting didn’t add up. She discovered that remote employees weren’t producing the kind of work required of the struggling company. Given Yahoo’s declining market share, she made her controversial decision—if you work at Yahoo, you have to show up to the office.

Two Viewpoints

As a woman, a mom and a part-time-work-from-home marketer, I’m torn by her decision. From a business perspective, if your company is stagnant and not innovating, it makes total sense. Human interaction and face to face communication are critical for developing new ideas. No doubt, this is a tactic to weed out some of the dead wood.

As an educated professional, I understand the angst of transitioning back into the business world after taking time off to stay at home with children. Smart, educated women have an extremely hard time breaking back into the business world after staying at home with young kids. Asking for any flexibility to manage your family life is often seen as an additional strike against you.

Seeking Balance

I’m one of the lucky ones and have been afforded a blend of both working from home and the office. I must admit, it takes diligence and structure to effectively make working from home successful for both the employee and employer. I spend two workdays in the office each week and manage the rest of my work from home, on my own schedule. For me, it’s not an all or nothing equation. As employees and employers, we might be best to seek balance. Working exclusively from home may cause a fractured and disconnected workforce. Requiring all work to be done from the office seems unrealistic and stifling.

Tips for Working Effectively from Home

The Business Insider offers some tips on how to effectively and responsibly work from home—not always an easy task.

Set your work hours: just as you would when you actually go into and leave a physical office, create an actual workday for yourself – and stick to it.

Do not disturb: even though your daughter’s newest art creation is by far her greatest masterpiece, restrain from showering her with praise during your work time. Small distractions can lead bigger ones and the next thing you know you’re unloading the dishwasher!

Clean workspace: organization is key. Your home office space must be kept tidy as you juggle your day.

Communicate well and often with coworkers: I believe this one is most important. It’s critical to feel part of the work team, keep updated on current office projects and let others understand what you are working on at home. I’ve found a regularly scheduled phone or videoconference, a few times a week, works best.

Make a daily to-do list: as tempting as it is, this list does not include laundry, reorganizing cabinets or cleaning the bathroom. A daily to-do list of work projects keeps you on task for effective productivity. It also helps keeps coworkers and your boss up-to-date on what you’re working on.

Mayer’s decision, though surprisingly reactive (especially for a tech firm), seems like a good one for her company at this point in time. Unfortunately, this all-or-nothing approach discards the benefits associated with a balance of telecommuting and face to face communication. And as telecommuters, we need to be responsible employees and remember: the dishes, the cleaning and the kids will have to wait until mommy “leaves” the office (even if the office is sometimes at the kitchen counter!)”