Environment affects modes of work. And that's why the recent shift to remote work is so consequential.
Until the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, nearly all the conversations about office design centered around collaboration.
This was especially true in the tech industry. Companies (ranging from scrappy startups to industry giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook) innovated with casual meeting spaces, extensive break areas, and open office plans.
Collaboration was king. And then COVID-19 happened.
All that effort to foster and encourage water cooler moments — spontaneous meetings that could spark creativity, collaboration, and new ideas — was swept away by the pandemic, the necessity for remote work, and the subsequent resistance by employees to return to offices.
It's a disaster, according to some managers and executives.
But I disagree. I think the remote work revolution will save them from their own faulty thinking.
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