What 2020 Taught Me About Remote Work That’s Still Useful in 2021
By: Coco Riess
Tags: Mental Health, Workshop, Collaboration, Remote Work, Agile

1. What would you learn from medium-term thinking?

A few weeks into the crisis, my tandem partner Jessi posted this check-in question in our chat channel: “If you could travel back in time to March 2020, what advice would you give yourself concerning work in the months ahead?”

One of the answers from my colleagues stuck with me. If memory serves me right, it was Stefan who replied something along the lines of: “Adjust your set-up at home as if it would have to do forever.”

Maybe right now you are thinking what I thought back then: “Indeed, do get yourself an extra monitor and a desk that’s adjustable in height before the back pain starts. And by the way, ring lights are a thing now!”

But what if we thought more broadly? It’s even more useful to rephrase this advice as a question:

What would you do if the current status quo was going to last for another year?

How would you adjust your setting? How would you make use of your energy and resources?

Why that shift of perspective might help

Many people live with a mantra-like this these days: “Pull through, only for a few more weeks. You somehow need to keep going for a while longer, even if it’s exhausting.”

Unfortunately, it has not been “over soon” for more than a year now and it will not be over for some time. What would happen if you told yourself “it’s just four more weeks” every day for a whole year?

Then you might run a whole marathon at the speed you should reserve for the last meters before the finish line. You’d keep your hopes up and keep going, thus depleting your energy.

And once you’re exhausted, it’s all too easy to stick with your current strategy, to do more of the same. You might believe even more that this time, surely, things will have to go back to normal soon. A vicious circle.

You might feel resistance when you read the question. “What would you do if the situation were to stay the same for another year?” That’s quite understandable. It doesn’t feel particularly nice to imagine something unpleasant. Give it a try anyway. See what ideas come up for you or what you realize when looking at things from this different angle.

How to apply it

Well, the obvious thing would be to stop reading right now. Grab pen and paper or your favorite note-taking app and answer the question for a few minutes. Just see what comes up!

(Yes, I’ll wait! We both know what the chances of ever doing this are if you don’t do it right now, don’t we?)

At idealo, we made good experiences with integrating this reflection exercise into workshops. Sharing and discussing the results in group settings provides more than inspiration. It also fosters a sense of not being alone with the challenges.

I like to split the exercise and look at one aspect at a time: my apartment, work processes, social relations, etc. When I asked myself what I’d change about my apartment if I knew I’d be spending nearly 24/7 in it for another year, the answer was clear. I did not want to wait a year for my next bath! Since then I am the proud owner of an inflatable bathtub that fits into my shower.

To cut a long story short: Taking a medium-term perspective can be useful in many areas (e.g. it works as romantic advice, too). In the current circumstances of permanent stress, I’ve found it especially helpful.