Working Anywhere

EMMANUEL ASIKA 

Given the ongoing evolution in the digital technology realm, it is now unmistakably clear that the upcoming significant frontier, reshaping employee convenience and enhancing workplace productivity, can’t be confined to the traditional office space anymore. A workspace can literally exist anywhere. And this will not necessarily alter the way you communicate and engage with your teams, provided you are well-prepared with the right tools (and mindset).  

According to a WHY Magazine report, it is said that Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg famously doesn’t have a closed office space but he instead works in an open workspace with other employees; same as Jack Dorsey of Square, Gilt Groupe’s Michelle Peluso, and Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson among other chief executives who have joined the office-less class of contemporary business executives.

Hence, it’s critical, at this juncture, to understand why institutions spanning various sectors, from digital technology, real estate, finance, fintech, telecommunications, integrated media, to tourism, and travel, are transitioning from traditional work arrangements to flexible models where ‘the home office’ is considered a non-negotiable option.

An International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) International Labour Office 2022, report titled “The Next Normal: The changing workplace in Nigeria”, shows that in Nigeria, the majority of organizations (56%) would adopt a hybrid business model with a mixture of in-premises and remote work.

Today, status and efficient output indicators have drifted more from just physical offices to resource, aptitude and capabilities driven profiles i.e., employees who effectively deliver work remotely. This is supported by Gensler’s 2022 U.S. Workplace Survey of 2,000 U.S. workers which shows that the most important reason to come into the office is “to focus on my work”. Invariably, this is an assessment of the quality of resources that the office offers the staff for the ability to aid co-workers’ output and organization’s eventual profitability. The report also shows that today the proportion of workers using unassigned workspace has doubled since pre-pandemic to 19%, whilst many engage in some form of hybrid work.

Since technological innovation and work processes are almost like inseparable Siamese twins, this is where the ‘corner office’ is very significant. To set up and own one for seamless delivery, the most important consideration is to procure products that will help you optimize your limited space, manage time, and ultimately enhance your experience. With an HP computer, coupled with a supplementary device like  Poly Voyager Free 60 series wireless earbuds to minimize background noise and eliminate distractions at home and good lighting you will look your best on video calls no matter where you are joining the conversation from.

Interestingly, if you are alternating location between office and your ‘home office’, you should equip yourself with a sophisticated laptop like the HP Dragonfly Pro, which is appreciably light to carry around effortlessly without straining your shoulder. It makes you look and sound great on video calls regardless of your location.

The abovementioned claim for an ideal ‘corner office’ model was buttressed in the words of Kate Lister, President, Global Workplace Analytics, when she said, “Beyond ergonomics, you should be thinking about durability, portability, productivity, and professionalism”.  

For the ‘home office’, it’s important to make your space invitingly alluring so you always want to spend time there. You can achieve this with a combination of greenery that will expectantly stay alive without any extra effort, light up your favorite scented candles or hang some lights, and add personal touches that can bring you joy throughout the work period.

This breeds wholesome power of productivity for both business and staff, just as Lois Wyse, American advertising executive, author and columnist, said that “Power always works from the corner office”; implying that conventional ‘brick and mortar’ work model is fairly losing its pride of place competitively with the strong emergence of the new-normal in organization’s efficiency and workers’ output and experience.

– By Emmanuel Asika, Country Head, HP Nigeria