Corona turned the working world upside down—including mine. Even though the pandemic has not yet come to a real end, the question arises of how we will work together in the future. Will my long-standing colleagues and I simply return to our usual daily routine? Or has this been the starting signal for something completely new?
My daily work as an account manager and editor at AD HOC PR used to always start with a time-consuming drive. Every morning I had to commute via the heavily trafficked A2 motorway, which often ended in traffic jams. If I didn’t get stuck on the motorway, I would at least end up crawling into the city at walking pace on the feeder road.
Estimated time per trip: at least 45 minutes. Once finally at the agency, I could begin my actual work: client calls and correspondence, reading, research, writing, and exchanging ideas with colleagues and editorial teams. Even though it would not necessarily have required being in an office in Gütersloh, my colleagues and I only rarely made use of the home office option that already existed at the time.
Of course, the necessary data transfer, programs, and systems were an obstacle. But my personal attitude also repeatedly slowed down the topic of remote work. Perhaps this is simply because we work in small teams on our projects and clients. And collaboration thrives on exchange, which in an agency takes place not only in offices but also in the hallway or in the kitchen.
In addition, maintaining personal contact with clients and editorial teams is of course essential—not only via email or phone. But how are meetings supposed to work when my contacts are in Munich and Frankfurt and I can no longer travel there? And how can I carry out my daily work without being able to exchange ideas spontaneously with my colleagues?
Thanks to Corona, I now know that companies and employees are highly adaptable. Even though it took some time to adjust to the new situation and set up everything technically on the IT side, I can now say that my daily work has become much more efficient. Not only do I now have about 1.5 more hours per day for myself because the tiring commute to Gütersloh is no longer necessary. I am also much faster when writing texts or strategy papers because it is simply much quieter at home and you are not constantly being interrupted. In addition, I can work wherever I want—for example on my terrace, which gets sun in the afternoon. And this will continue in the future, as on-site presence requirements in the agency have largely been abolished.
However, despite all the advantages, there is also a downside: I simply miss the personal meetings and conversations that even a Teams or Zoom meeting cannot replace. That is why I voluntarily go to the office at least once a week—just to see my colleagues again.
