The Pros and Cons of WFH - Manager's Perspective
It gets a little better (and worse) than 24/7 sweatpants. Here are the pros and cons of work-from-home from my perspective as a manager
I was privileged that when the COVID-19 pandemic started, I worked in an industry where I had the choice of being able to safely work from home (WFH).
THE CONS OF WFH
Bad news first, right? I will definitely say that when I started WFH I really struggled to get into a routine, stay focused, and feel like I was working well and efficiently.
Fortunately I had a great boss at the time who encouraged me to give it a chance - she gently explained its definitely something to get used to and just takes time. I also had friends who gave me lots of great advice and tips for getting used to WFH which got me through that painful adjustment process.
At any rate, as a manager, here are the big Cons to work from home.
Missing body language - Con 1 of WFH
Zoom (and this video) only shows your face for the most part. There is a lot, therefore, that I felt I missed in terms of body language both in expressing my own and interpreting other people’s.
I personally feel (but cannot prove) like this was a disadvantage especially for folks whose first language is not English. I’m very proud of animation being such an international industry, we have folks from all over the world and as such, a lot of folks for whom English is a second language. A lot goes missing without body language, it’s like missing an entire part of the conversation even though you’re in the same zoom room.
Generation gap and not knowing where people are at - Con 2 of WFH
Something I struggled with was knowing where people are at. Before the pandemic, I just looked up from my screen or walked over to see my animators or modelers. During WFH, constantly monitoring slack, email, g-chat, zoom, transferring host, making sure the right microphone is hooked up, etc, had me feeling really scattered at first.
I think though, that this feeling is very much the result of a generational gap and my own digital literacy (or lack thereof). I’m a millennial in my thirties, and I had never heard of Zoom prior to the pandemic. I observed a lot (but not all) of people my age or older had similar struggles, whereas younger folks on my team seemed to breeze through this transition.
I highlight this because I just wanted to encourage folks like me to be gracious when accepting help, and in turn give a little grace for tech-inept moments.
I know there were many times early on where I would start a meeting flustered or interrupt awkwardly because of some other digital notification or reminder. It was weird for me to be a manager and vulnerable and to be so obviously struggling with basic stuff like remembering to enable screen share or turn on recording.
Fortunately, I had a lot of very helpful and patient people on my team, thank you again to those of you watching this.
The little things - Con 3 of WFH
"For workers, social and intellectual capital is built by shared experiences with co-workers and unplanned social interactions"
-from "Job Satisfaction and the COVID Effect"* by Richard Littlemore
The last con of WFH is little things and spontaneous moments from on-site work that just don’t transfer in WFH, like when you run into someone in the kitchen, or when you are idly chatting while setting up for dailies. I loved seeing my artists help one another on the floor, or seeing supervisors joke with their leads randomly throughout the day.
And now the other side - here are the pros of WFH.
THE PROS OF WFH
Closer connection to the client team - Pro 1 of WFH
This pro of WFH was the one that surprised me the most and I did not expect at all. During WFH, I have been closer to and worked well with the client team better than ever before. I got to talk to their coordinators more directly, got to meet more of the non-Production supervisors, and even see executives at home with their cats and dogs.
With client relations, we know we have to be more professional and conscientious about what we say and do. With WFH though, that boundary also got more porous, and I think allowed for better communication. We are seeing people in their homes, and whether you’re a PA or an exec, everything is right there, it’s intimate and personal to see someone’s wall art and hear their doorbells ring.
Making healthier choices - Pro 2 of WFH
This point actually comes from a friend of mine who is also in Production. She pointed out that she’s taking better care of herself with WFH, I agree.
Before WFH, I had erratic lunch times and ate dinner late as a result of OT. Now, I have more time to sleep because I don’t have to commute, I wear my retainer as often as my dentist tells me to, and I have an entire kitchen full of my food so I don’t have to make sure I get the one vegetarian option on the OT dinner menu.
Also since I’m in the privacy of my own home, I take the time to get up and stretch or move. Before it felt so conspicuous for me personally in the open office workspace to pause and gently stretch* or take a quick walk around just to stretch my legs.
*shout out to my old EAV LRC team who did this at any rate together back in the day!
Greater awareness of global and local issues - Pro 3 of WFH
This has also been an unexpected perk of WFH. Studios are often open work spaces and have limitations around streaming. As such, when I was in studio, I listened to music on my iPod. At home, I actually listen to the radio out loud in my workspace, so I hear more news and feel like I have a better awareness of what’s happening in the world.
Similarly, I am out and about in my neighbourhood more. I take walks on my breaks, and I can quite literally see better what is happening in my own community, rather than rushing to the bus early hours in the morning when its dark and nothing is happening except the commute.
Start the day by a quick walk around the block, and end by doing the same. Its not about the exercise or getting a certain number of steps in, its almost like a mini commute that gets you outside and in the mindset of starting and finishing your work day.
- Work From Home article archive on Pinterest
- The podcast Don't Be a Jerk At Work has a few episodes on remote work
- Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of Covid-19 to Create a Better Model of Working by Steve Cardigan (I have not read this myself, you can read a review here)
- Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance by Erica Dhawan (I haven't read this one either, you can read a review here)
- *"Job Satisfaction and the COVID Effect" by Richard Littlemore in Trek: The Future of Work, Fall/Winter 2021
