Why Are We Still Going To Work?

I don't go to work anymore.  I stopped going to work after going to work every day for a long time.  The repetition of getting up, out the door, and to the place we call work is an established routine. But is the routine itself necessary or is it counterproductive?

With technology like smartphones and laptops at our disposal, work can be done practically anywhere:  bus stops, coffee shops, grocery lines, doctor's offices, and even on walks.  Unless a job is strictly location dependent, why are we chained to the ritual of going to work?

For most people, the simple answer of why they go to work is that it's what their bosses and organizations expect.  Going to work is a construct that is perceived to have social and economic value.  For some, going to work is a source of pride and, for others, it's a source of pain.  We go to a place. And once we're there, we're "at work" regardless of what we're doing.

Here's what going to work looks like, give or take a few minutes: 

6:30 - 7:15 a.m. - Get ready to go to work 

7:15 - 8:00 a.m. - Commute to work

8:00 - 8:15 a.m. - Greet co-workers

8:15 - 8:30 a.m. - (If you're like most people) Get coffee 

8:30 a.m. - Take stock of your work for the day

By that point, you've blown an hour or two in the ritual of going to work without having accomplished anything.  The rest of the morning is often eaten up by rote tasks - none of which required you to have physically gone to work. The days continues like so:

9:00 a.m. - Team meeting (which probably starts late because people are still getting coffee)

10:00 a.m. - Back to desk to respond to e-mail 

10:45 a.m. - Travel to 1st appointment

11:00 a.m. - 1st appointment: Meet with marketing contact on project X

Noon - Lunch

By this point, you're probably wondering where most of the day has gone and you've barely started.

What if there was another option--one that allowed more time for family or exercise AND helped you be more productive?  People, whether they are customers, clients, competitors or colleagues, are at the heart of most professional jobs. 

So why not try going to people instead of going to work? 

Here's how you start your day "going to people":

6:30 - 8:00 a.m. - Family time, exercise, get ready for work, etc.

8:00 a.m. - Review schedule for the week over 2nd cup of coffee from the comfort of your kitchen table

8:10 a.m. - Prioritize critical tasks for the week and triage inbox for urgent messages

8:30 a.m. - Team check-in via video conference

9:00 a.m. - Travel to morning appointments

9:45 a.m. - Appointment 1: Meet with marketing contact on project X

10:45 a.m. - Appointment 2: Negotiate with vendor on project Y

Noon - Appointment 3: Meet with client Z for lunch

Continue to set up meetings and respond to e-mails in between your people-centered interactions.  (This is one of the many reasons I recommend public transit - someone else drives while you can work.) Go into to the office for your team meeting following your afternoon appointments. At the end of the day, complete any needed follow ups and glance at the next day's schedule.

You get the picture. Your "going to people" day is structured around maximizing impact, while using technology to create more flexibility.

Going to people refocuses your day around people-centered action, rather than rote exercises in an office or cubicle.  Telecommuting is part of the picture, but not all of it. Telecommuting frees up part of your day to add in a little extra family time or a workout. If person-to-person interaction helps produce better outcomes in our work, then it follows that a person-centered day, rather than a day centered around a ritual of going to work, would yield better results. 

If you’re not ready for full "going to people" immersion, try dipping your toe in by making an appointment before going into the office. Then notice the difference in the quality of your meeting and what you accomplished.

With all of that in mind, take a moment to examine why you are still going to work.  If you're a manager, consider why you think it's important for your teams to go to work.  Then ask yourself whether you and your teams would get more accomplished if you spent less time in the ritual of going to work and more time on the people that are essential to meet your goals.  Every job is a little different, so consider those factors in your analysis.  You just might find yourself making better use of your day.