Remote working - the future?

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823681#Comment_120823681

Yes that doesn't change the fact that face to face is better, obviously if someone isn't proximite to you you use the next best available option, this doesn't changed the fact that in person interactions are more effective.

As I asked originally if all other things are equal which is better virtual or in person interactions?

lostboy75

It makes little difference,

If someone needs to be sitting in the same room as other attendees for a meeting to be effective then they don't have the basic (and I mean basic) skills required to be running a meeting.

In person or online makes zero difference to effectiveness of a meeting.

The effective meetings are well run, the ineffective ones are poorly run.

I've seen both ends of the spectrum for both.

The location the attendees are sitting in has no impact.

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823863#Comment_120823863

If 10 people are in a room physically and you are remote, you might be a lot less effective, regardless of communication skills.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823892#Comment_120823892

That they managed to get out of attending in person, thats pretty effective out of the gate.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823863#Comment_120823863

You appear to have constructed a narrative to argue against. Did anyone say you need to be sitting in the same room with a person for a meeting to be effective?

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823892#Comment_120823892

Exactly

Cromuli

Much more efficient as a team and happier since working remotely also more work play balance, win win.

newmember2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823892#Comment_120823892

Can't see how, you still have the same voice as being in the room with them. It's not where you are in a meeting - it's what you're saying. What are they all going to do - mute the in-room mic and talk amongst themselves?

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824226#Comment_120824226

Do you have any personal experience of this scenario, ie being one of the 10 people in the room or one of the people who are off-site and connected either audo+video, or only-audio?

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824230#Comment_120824230

Yep lots of experience and in even larger teams spanning multiple locations actually starting as far back as 1990 when we only had audio, through Sony proprietary hardware/software in the 2000s up to Teams, WhatsApp, Discord and some of the other candidates. What is your point?

Flinty997

We have a regular scheduled hybrid meeting with up to 20 people in a room and as many as 10 joined remotely. Its routine for us. No one blinks an eye. Most of our meeting rooms are configured to facilitate this. Have had meetings with a couple of hundred. Live captions, for accessibility, and meetings recorded and available to watch later.

Dohnjoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120819765#Comment_120819765

Couldn't read the article as it was behind a paywall.

Does it factor in e.g. lateness and sickness for office workers? When fully based in the office I noticed that people were missing entire days due to sickness much more often than they are now (hybrid). Likewise, being based in a busy city, there were issues with lateness (due to traffic, public transport issues, etc)

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824632#Comment_120824632

It's a sound bite article based on report. Even the report is wishy-washy in places.

But I think the report its based on is here, the first, or latest one.

https://wfhresearch.com/research-and-policy/

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824226#Comment_120824226

I attend a lot of international workshops and meetings but due to health issues, I can't travel at the moment. A lot of items seem to get discussed and resolved during breaks/lunch etc. and are merely presented as a fait accomplis afterwards. You are deluding yourself if you think you have the same impact. One remote voice rarely trumps the room, especially with European bureaucrats who are indifferent about Ireland anyway.

Flinty997

An international industry or trade event, or conference is hardly the same thing as normal meetings. Especially one that breaks for meals, and probably drinks in the evening. Then again one thats brokering deals and agreements.

Baffled how anyone could possibly think its a comparable subject to remote working.

Unearthly

Remote for 3 years and no intention of changing. Complete game changer. Elimination of commute and office small talk just makes me much more efficient with my time spent.

My current team is 20 people hand picked from around the world. No restrictions to where someone can work. Incredible talent pool to choose from instead of limiting yourself to certain cities

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825089#Comment_120825089

True, but lots of international workshops and meetings that are routine work and aren't trade events or conferences happen, especially in the standards and/or policy space. If you don't attend in person, your influence diminishes.

Apply that concept to the office, if you are remote and everyone else is in the room, you are deluding yourself if you think you have the same impact (unless you are their manager or decision maker or something). It's different if everyone is remote or just 2 or 3 are in the same room, since all things are largely equal.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825181#Comment_120825181

I'd be curious what % of people you think are in the position of setting or influencing international standards or international policy, to the point its a significant factor for remote working in general. We would have a handful that travel to brussels etc., for such work, but optimistically its probably at best 0.5% of staff. Have a good few more that do that at national or govt level, but none of those are ever virtual. However those people do virtual meeting back to their home office. They remote work not from Ireland to the conference, but from the conference back to Ireland.

As for a regular office. If you do all your decision making around the water cooler. Then the meetings are just an echo chamber. It makes no difference if you attend the meeting or not. 60~80% of people in the office are not decision influencers.

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825343#Comment_120825343

If the meeting is just an echo chamber, why bother attend at all? It doesn't matter if you are remote or physically present?

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824336#Comment_120824336

You are not the person who said

Can't see how, you still have the same voice as being in the room with them. It's not where you are in a meeting - it's what you're saying. What are they all going to do - mute the in-room mic and talk amongst themselves?

I first encountered meetings like you describe in 2007, when I came to Ireland. Usually all on-site people in each country were in a meeting room, and for there to be a video tool for screen/slide sharing, projected at each end. No webcams (too bandwidth hungry). I was horrified at how much more difficult it was to get the simplest thing done, and even now I look back at what projects actually achieved and wonder how the company stayed in business.

There were times when we muted the mic and talked amoun ourselves. Only in-room people saw the body-language and messages written on paper end even whiteboards in the room. The technology has changed, but I'm sure the behaviour has adapted, not stopped.

In my experience, remote is only effective if everyone is remote - and that restricts labour market access for people who cannot provide adequate facilities, which is mainly the young and the poor.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825508#Comment_120825508

Exactly.

I think the situations you're involved in, that you described are at a whole different level, if you're lobbying etc.

I think for many, a very high % of meetings are unproductive, unnecessary, because they are mismanaged and poorly run.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825147#Comment_120825147

Your company must have some global footprint if there is no restrictions as to where people can work from. For lost companies hiring staff in multiples jurisdictions is an administrative minefield and a pain in the ass.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824960#Comment_120824960

What has that got to do with normal remote work meetings?

newmember2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824230#Comment_120824230

I have yes, either side, and like I said already, it's what's being said and what decisions are reached make the meeting, not where the participants are based.

Young_gunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823863#Comment_120823863

totally agree, if anything, fully remote meetings are much more efficient and effective

Young_gunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824068#Comment_120824068

Couldn't agree more, it's a massive enhancement in quality of life

GoldFour4

Fully remote or hybrid meeting are completely fine once the company is set up for it in terms of audio in the physical meeting room - if not then better off fully remote or fully in person. The majority of companies are well up in this regard though.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825595#Comment_120825595

Why are you comparing primitive, audio-only and extremely badly managed meetings from years ago to in-person meetings?

Disingenuous in the extreme.

Dohnjoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849939#Comment_120849939

Noticed that.

We do everything from small meetings all the way up to 30+ person crisis meetings online. It's relatively straightforward. Been doing it for 3 years now.

In the pre-pandemic days it was a nightmare trying to book a large room (or rooms) last minute to get "everyone" together for a crisis meeting or escalation. Even the non-urgent departmental meetings were a pain to organise, late-shows, double bookings, VTC failing, etc.

With the exception of some face-to-face client type meetings, whether someone is in the office or at home now, all other meetings are done online. Much simpler and more efficient.