In the past 3 years, I’ve now spent 50% of time remote and the remaining 50% hybrid (2-3 days per week in the office). And I’ve come to appreciate the 3 things that video meetings don’t do well:
(1) Brainstorming: It is so much easier to talk through ideas on a whiteboard in person. The lag in video creates just enough friction to break the flow.
(2) Therapy: This is code for those therapeutic heart-to-heart conversations where we talk about problems or things that matter. The chemistry of physical proximity is hard to recreate.
(3) Serendipity: In person spaces are great for serendipitous conversations. There are tools that attempt to simulate this – but there’s nothing quite like the real thing.
I’m a believer in hybrid work. I like being home on Mondays and Friday – it’s nice to be at my desk both ends of the week. But I also have a deep appreciation for the brainstorming, therapy, and serendipity that being in person enables.
