The Hybrid Work Model (Likely) Reigns Supreme

I got my first job at age 14, cleaning houses over the summer. I was assigned to various cleaning crews and travelled from house to house, dusting and vacuuming in a way that would leave no trace of a human having ever entered the room—there could be no vacuum machine tracks, or you had to start over.

I didn't mind cleaning, as I've always been a bit of a neatnik. Also, I liked that whatever I started, I was able to finish—so there was always a sense of accomplishment, even if it were somewhat fleeting. Indeed, the only really unpleasant part of my day was riding around in the backseat of a compact car while being subjected to the crude and rude ramblings of the other maids on my "team." I have to hand it to them, they never uttered a word about a client or the house we had just cleaned, but they seemed to delight in shocking me with their "adult" conversations. Looking back, their attempt to erode my innocence on the daily was nothing short of deliberate. They had faced the real world, after all, with all of its dirt and grime—and I wasn't going to get a pass. Little did they know, I wasn't naive to life's messes, or the emotional dirt that gets swept under the rug.

When summer ended, so did my job.

I learned early on that you are at the mercy of who you are working "with" just as much as who you are working "for."

At 17, I started a data-entry job working 20 hours a week after school. The pay was well above minimum wage, which was unheard of back then, and it was easy work if you buckled down (we were timed and monitored for accuracy).

Unlike the cleaning company, workplace drama was minimal, and most people exhibited professional behavior. While there, I met someone who would become one of my very best friends. Life would eventually move us in opposite directions, but this was the first job where the biggest net benefit (for me) was friendship.

Working together in-person gives us opportunities to cultivate friendships.

By the time I was a sophomore in college, I was working full time and attending classes at night. I relied on Kelly Services and Manpower—both temporary agencies—for job opportunities and I have to say, they consistently delivered. Not every temp job I had was exciting or educational in terms of the role itself, but it allowed me to start building my professional network while gaining an inside look into corporate America—something the classroom could never provide. It is always important, but especially important when first starting out, to be personable in the workplace. You'll find that when you take an interest in others, they naturally take an interest in you.

Coworkers tend to remember us for how we work more than the work we actually do, so be helpful and kind.

Post-college, the bulk of my employment has been with tech firms and advertising agencies. I lived through the Internet boom (when companies had heaps of money with large teams), and I was there when the boom went bust. We went from more staff than we could keep busy to a skeleton crew of scrappy "get 'er done" types, me being one of them. We had to be willing to meet and work around the clock—not in the office per say, but from wherever we were (in the world). I think this might have been the first time it dawned on some of us that our laptops allowed us to take our "work" home. But rather than exploring the possibilities of remote or hybrid work models in the early 2000s, we just worked more, in all places. Thank God that the eventual entry of Millennials into the workforce helped to correct some of this nonsense.

As the Internet of all things great and small bounced back (around 2010), companies began investing in their tech and websites again, but only in select markets. If the talent did not live near those opportunities, they super commuted. Again, I was one of them. I flew out Sunday night, and was back home Friday morning, at which point I was expected to attend a series of project management meetings and scrums. Again, we were all still going along with this idea that our work HAD TO BE DONE ONSITE even if we were working from our laptops on the plane, in hotel rooms, and back at home. Why was that? Why didn't anyone say, "Enough!"

Due to a tough job market, pandemic-era relocations, and a push to get workers back in the office, super commuting is on the rise again.

As for me, my super-commuting days are over, but the gig I had back then provided me with a fantastic opportunity to work on a well-recognized eCommerce brand. During my weekly travels, I befriended other super-commuters, and we would regularly gather a group together for dinner or activity (e.g., bowling, museums, shows). I was fortunate to never be without something fun or interesting to do while I was away from my home and family. If I did not have that social network, I would be singing a very different tune about super-commuting.

Soon after that gig ended, I landed a fulltime UX design role at one of the top ad agencies back home. While there, I got to work with top designers on award-winning automotive apps and websites. The commute was much more tolerable, too, at just about 30–40 minutes one way.

Gallup found commutes of just 30 minutes are linked to people experiencing more anger and mood swings, as well as poorer health and wellbeing.

Despite my love for the ad agency—I had great projects, great clients, and I made several new friends—I only stayed for a few years. I just couldn't see how I could advance the way that I had hoped. Besides, agency years are similar to dog years. So, when a recruiter contacted me about an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a tech startup just 12 minutes from home. I was going to be their first (and only) UX Director and it had all sorts of "sky's the limit" potential, so I jumped on it.

Unfortunately, I faced numerous hurdles with that new company, none of which any amount of jumping could overcome. For one, I had no say about the creative hires, because I soon learned that was a director in name only. Second, I had to compete with a VP's brother, who owned a small creative agency. The bro agency went as far to submit designs without my input or direction to the client who had funded my role. Reflecting back, I cannot imagine any of the art directors I have worked with over the years tolerating this, but I did... and I must say, my tolerance did not pay off in the end.

Even so, I did a lot of good work there, that I feel proud of to this day. My redesigns improved lead submission by more than 30% for the client, and I was rewarded nicely at bonus time. I was hopeful that in time they would begin to trust me more with growing the team, but then some struggles in my personal life started to creep in that colored their perceptions about me and my attitude. At some point, the No. 2 in charge called me into a meeting to confront it. There was no warmup. No inquiry. No assumption that I might have something outside of "there" that would matter to me. His first words were simply, "You don't seem happy here."

I wasn't happy, as a matter of fact. Not there. Not anywhere. I had recently miscarried but was doing my best to keep plodding along. I still remember the look of shame that swept over his face when I told him. It would be easy to be angry about being scolded for my suffering... but we have all made poor judgment calls out of our own ignorance, so let this be a lesson to us all. You really don't know what someone is going through at any given time so a reasonable amount of grace should be given.

Looking back, perhaps if I had been thinking longer term about my role there, and IF that employer had been friendly toward the idea of working remotely (they weren't), then maybe I could have dealt with my grief in a more private setting. Instead, I was in a typical open-concept fishbowl of an office, with my "attitude" on full display.

Employers who are unfriendly toward remote or hybrid work models will likely require a daily visible "performance" from workers to build up their own vision of success or work culture.

When the client who had been funding my job at this prized tech firm moved out of state, my job went with it. Incredibly, at the near exact same time, I got a call from an agency colleague who needed help on a project that was going sideways. The timing could not have been better to start uxBEEZ.com. It was then that my independence and remote work life began and continues to this day (11 years and counting).

And that's the whole point of this article... the pros and cons of working remotely. I will get into the pros and cons of starting your own consulting business in a future post. Please subscribe below to stay in the know.

PROS

1. Flexible workspace, flexible locations, and flexible work attire

   
   

2. Flexible hours (if you can set them), but your employer or clients will likely take the lead on that, unless you can afford to turn work down

   
   

3. More time to get your actual work done during working hours—hooray!

   
   

4. Less physical interruptions at your desk/workstation (yah, we're talking about you, cubicle knocker)

   
   

5. No daily commute or parking issues, and all that goes along with that

   
   

CONS

1. You might be overlooked for a promotion or opportunity; the old saying, "Out of sight, out of mind," still rings true

   
   

2. You can fall out of touch with work friends; if you are the sort who has all the friends you will ever need, good for you, you beautiful unicorn

   
   

3. You might be expected to attend online meetings even when you are sick/need time off (because all you have to do is "dial in")

   
   

4. You don't have to deal with cubicle knocker anymore, but IMs will be coming at you left and right; you can mute channels, but do so at your own risk

   
   

5. Friendly chatter with coworkers is cemented in the vaults of time when you IM vs. ye old in-person chats—I mean, it's different when you're at the coffee machine and say, "Simpson is on the war path today, watch out!" But if you say it in writing, you are just one screenshot away from your professional demise. I don't know anyone named Simpson, btw!

The reality is that working remotely works well for some, and not so well for others. Going into the office, having face-to-face conversations, drinking coffee next to someone at the same conference table, and physically participating in whiteboard sessions—well, those moments cannot happen "remotely" in a meaningful way.

Before you dive into world of remote work, start by having an honest conversation with yourself and identify your emotional needs as well as your practical needs. Then, if applicable, discuss it with your spouse or partner—because it could impact them as well. Then, I suggest talking to your manager or employer about how working remotely could impact your day-to-day performance and if relevant, any long-term goals you have at the company.

My Advice...

If you can deliver your work seamlessly online and you don't mind the isolation that can go hand-in-hand with working from home (or elsewhere), then remote work could be right for you. You can save time and money, avoid office politics, and get way more done. You might also think you can do it from anywhere, but I would avoid working from travel destinations frequently... it just doesn't bode well.

If you want to work remotely but are worried about losing touch with others or fear you will be overlooked for opportunities, then you may find a "hybrid work model" is the right way forward. Hybrid means you work some amount of time in the office, and some amount of time remotely. The ratio and approach will vary by job, team, and organization. If you go this route, talk to your employer or manager about which days in the office make the most sense. I do think you should only go in for team building, collaboration, important meetings, or the like—do not go in just to be a warm body in the office or on "scheduled" days. It isn't necessary, practical, or safe.

Still not sure? Here is a video that may help facilitate conversations with your employer about remote or hybrid work models.

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Thanks for reading!

This blog was written by a human.