Mixing business with pleasure, pleasure with business - part 1 - by Dan Castner
This is part one of three.
As train station parking lots fill up again and lines form at coffee shops near transit centers, one may ask, “Have we returned to normal? Is commuting worth it again?” Depending on the industry, it can be a resounding “yes” or a definitive “never”. But as the Partnership for New York City noted in January, 52% of workers are back in the office on any given day in New York City. And with 90% coming into the office at least once a week, it seems clear that it must be worth the commute, and I can’t help but ask the questions:
• What have we learned?
• What did we take from this COVID experiment as part of our new normal?
• Are we healthier and happier in this new normal?
• Is the commute worth it for the business, the individual, or both?
I personally ask these questions on the Metro-North every day. As an architect, husband, and father of three, I am tasked with keeping both my professional and personal lives organized and in equilibrium with each other. What I have personally discovered, and what I’m hoping to explore in this article, is where people and offices have found this new equilibrium. My proposition is that only by embracing a life that mixes business with pleasure and pleasure with business will people find their new normal, and ultimately, offices will succeed in encouraging people to return to the office.
First, it’s important to understand what people love about their jobs, what they missed during COVID, and what they loved about their homes that they got to explore while sequestered in quarantine. Initially, many found the stress of conference calls with children interrupting in the background frustrating, but people adapted. In WFH, the workforce found a way to take control and merge the home and the office. They were able to do this on their own terms and learned enough to realize the advantages of working from home. And through this learning, also figured out what they were missing.
As seen in many vacant downtowns across the country, such as in San Francisco, there is a significant chunk of the workforce who still remain working from home all week. They have found a new equilibrium, and many are content with their new way of working. While there are repercussions for many downtowns who have entered the “Doom-Loop” created by WFH, one must consider people’s motivations for not returning to the office. Is the commute too long? Have offices not considered how I need to work post-COVID? Are people simply unhappy and looking for a better equilibrium with their jobs? Can the design and policies of the workplace change people’s motivations and perspectives?
In my job, I love connecting with others in the industry. I’m in business development because I enjoy discovering what is important to people and figuring out if I can help them in some way. This includes finding common ground, utilizing my business network groups and organizations to connect, and hopefully meeting people who need architectural design in the process.
Part two appears in the April 30th NYREJ to continue reading click here
Dan Castner is a principal + life science practice director with Mancini Duffy, Manhattan, NY.