That doesn’t suit me
I was on the train going to London a couple of weeks ago and overheard a work conversation. Actually the person was speaking so loudly that half the train overheard it! Which reminded me of the statistic that when we speak on the phone/video conference, unless we practice self-awareness, we tend to talk 15% louder than we would in-person.
Anyway, from the sounds of things, the organisation had announced a return to office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Friday, to which this person’s response was to boldly state ‘that doesn’t suit me’.
They had many issues which they ran through over a 15-minute call, which were as follows:
‘I have uni work to do on Tuesdays and Thursdays’
‘We always work from home on Fridays, it’s the best way to start the weekend’
‘In office doesn’t work for me’
‘I can be on calls on Teams, but I can’t come into the office with everyone else’
It’s easy to assume that the person in question is being entitled, however, there may be other issues at play that I’m not aware of, so empathy is important.
Also, I’m not a fan of the mandated return to office. I much prefer - and have worked with many organisations successfully on this - a collaborative approach between employer and employee, such that decisions like this are never a surprise.
However, regardless of your take on a return to office mandate, the inference from this individual is that work conditions should suit them and them alone; which is the antithesis of teamwork.
When you take pay from an organisation that you don’t own, then the leaders get to determine the working conditions and hours.
In an ideal world, they would heed the advice in this blog (😂) and work with you to create a fantastic place to work, which requires you to engage with your teammates in ways that generate engagement and productive work. This will likely include a mix of in-person and online working for office-based companies.
However, if they don’t - and there’s no opportunity for team-based autonomy or greater individual flexibility to suit your needs - then there are only really three decisions; 1) find a company that does; 2) leave and start your own business, so that you can create the hours and lifestyle that works best for you; or 3) accept that you are part of a team and become comfortable with the hours and locations required.
It’s impossible for organisations to create the conditions to suit every individual. All they can do is to try to create an environment where everyone gets a little bit of what they require. This ensures that not only does the work get done by the team to generate the results required (to sustain the company and motivate employees), but also that everyone can have a good balance between work and life.
The best teams aren't built by accommodating every individual’s needs; they're built by everyone accommodating each other.
