Having worked from a virtual office at home for many years, I’m quite familiar with the “work from home” experience. When I first began working remotely, companies often felt cautious; their primary concern was ensuring I remained productive throughout the day. They also had worries about things like home safety and equipment, but over time, trust and understanding grew.
Now, with zillions of folks working from home (home office or not), they only need a laptop, strong internet signals, and a video chat application. Even with this advanced technology, video chatters spend an inordinate amount of time fussing and fiddling with connections, audio, video, and who can’t sign in. Not long ago, I was on a call with people in 3 cities in the US and 2 cities in France (our US team didn’t speak French). We didn’t accomplish a single thing on that call.
In my first home office, I had everything anyone would need to work efficiently. Early on, I didn’t have computers or laptops. However, the three Kings of Communication were my fax machine, HP printer, and trusty IBM typewriter. I’ll hold out on video calls for as long as I can since Zooming is here to stay.; I guess I’ll have to look for a new fax machine to be competitive.
Are we there yet? 