How to Regain Your Autonomy When You’re in the Office
For those who have worked remotely in the past 18 months, moving from home to work can be (or has already been) a challenge. This is not necessarily due to increased hours of work – if anything, it could reduce the amount of time we spend at work – but rather the loss of autonomy that remote workers gained during the pandemic.
“When someone isn’t always looking at you, you have a choice of what to do,” Dr. Arvind Malhotra , professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, recently told BBC Worklife , noting that “the little things.” for example, being able to take a short afternoon walk or 10 minutes to load the dishwasher can make a big difference.
So how can we keep at least some of the independence we gained while working remotely and return it to the office? Malhotra shared additional insights on how we can achieve this with writer Keith Morgan in an article for BBC Worklife .
The sooner you discuss this with your manager, the better.
While some employers are announcing policy changes – such as the ability to work remotely one day a week – before employees return to the office, many others expect people to come back and pretend it is 2019 and an entire pandemic the situation never happened.
In any case, figure out what (possible) aspects of telecommuting you would most like to retain and discuss them with your manager – the sooner the better. (Ideally, before you return to the office.)
“I think that if you give up autonomy time and place, and come to the office, you will need to speak with your supervisor and agree on the flexibility that is something you want to work”, – he told the BBC Malhotra . “If you come in and do your job the way you’re told, there might be even more creative, innovative work where you have more autonomy.”
Maintain control “at the microtask level”
Okay, so you may not have been able to agree on a work dress code that includes pajamas or the ability to work remotely all the time , but Malhotra says there are other ways to maintain your autonomy – especially in what he calls “micro – task level “.
Regardless of whether people were aware of this, they most likely did it while working from home. “We blocked certain times to do what we needed to do and gave ourselves time and time to think, ” he told the BBC . “I think that the practice of this habit should return with us to the office. There is autonomy that you can bring back to yours from nine to five. “
This can include things like not scheduling appointments in a row (when possible) or setting aside a few minutes on your calendar throughout the day when you know you can use a quick break to recharge. No, it won’t be the same as working in a home office, but at least you will feel that you are in some way in control of your day.