I’ll work from under a palm tree, thanks. You?

That would be my ‘workcation’- somewhere where I could see the water, feel the sun, watch some boats sail by and paddle and splash in the sea. 

What about you? What’s your dreamy work location, because it could become one of those standard job perks that are today... standard, for many. 

Beyond the opportunity to ‘forever work from home’ that some of the big tech companies announced in recent months, Google is now up for the month-long remote-work-from-anywhere perk. 

This article in CNBC’s Global Traveller by Monica Pitrelli shows how the competitive advantage of employee flexibility is growing. 

I was pleased to provide some comment for the article. 

Imagine holidaying. Working. Then holidaying some more. Or enjoying the local cuisine and sights at night after remote work during the day. 

Or remote all night, party all day 😱

It could be just the holiday extender we need when borders open more, and our travel dreams move closer to reality. 

The lines are further blurring between here and there, this cocktail and that zoom meeting. 

Your brain fog is real

The thick, foggy feels of the past year aren’t only happening to you or just in your mind ... it’s a real thing. 

“After a year of lockdown, many of us are finding it hard to think clearly, or remember what happened when”.

Less social interaction, heightened uncertainty, a low-grade kind of trauma underpinning our life ... 

“People are finding themselves more sluggish – their physical and mental weight is somehow heavier, hard to carry around”. 

If you’re leading a team, and you’re not acknowledging or noticing this, it’s time to. 

And if you’ve felt it but aren’t doing anything but persisting and pushing on through, it’s also time to acknowledge it... 

Psychologists say, “For some of us, brain fog will be a temporary state, and will clear as we begin to live more varied lives.”

The sooner you can vary things, at home, at your desk, in your surroundings, throughout your day... the sooner the fog will lift. 

Read more in this great article in The Guardian ... and acknowledge the fog. 

Control freaks : how is the self control going

Self control may be a hallmark of high levels of emotional intelligence but most of us don’t think we have much... or enough! Self control that is. 

And curiously, there’s a link between self control and productivity. 

Do you recognise the cycle of failing in self control and then berating yourself for failing? I do. It’s a strong circuit indeed! 

How do we break it? What can we do instead? 

These tips from the World Economic Forum are both familiar and new: 

Focus on solutions
Forgive yourself 
Eat. Sleep. Exercise. Meditate. 
Don’t say yes unless you really want to 
Don’t seek perfection 
Stay positive
Avoid asking ‘what if’
Ride the wave - the ebb and flow of control. 

Greater self control can require more of us than a single action... once. And it may be simpler than thinking we have to make dramatic changes or embark on mega habits. 

Choosing these alternatives when there’s a blip in our self control is wiser than berating ourselves. 

Read more about it here

Would you work in a tent

Leave a door open and someone may scold us with, ‘Were you born in a tent? Close the door!’

Tents and forts made from blankets and furniture are a playful memory from many childhoods. 

And while there are pro and anti camping camps out there (you know, ‘I don’t do camping/We only do glamping’) there’s an interesting use of tents that’s popping up. 

Providing shelter, protection, coziness and keeping people safely distant at work ... how about this: would you work in a tent? 

This article shares some of the thinking and benefits to segregated spaces in covid safe workplaces. 

As a long time camper, I am here for the tent!

And don’t get me started on caravans ... particularly the retro allure of an Airstream. I reckon that’s got productivity and creativity written all over it!

Would you? Work in a tent? 

12 insights on how workplaces are changing

Traditional workplaces are changing. And we have to change with the change! 

Check out these 12 insights from Harvard Business School faculty members like Amy Edmondson, Tsedal Neeley, Raffaella Sadun and more. 

Whether you agree with them all or not, they show the scope and extent of how workplaces are changing. 

Here’s the 12 :

1 Prioritise face time at the office
2 Have honest conversations with employees
3 Weigh the risks of loneliness
4 Consider a flexible hybrid approach
5 Be honest about the company’s needs
6 Keep talking about caregiving obligations
7 Show compassion amid the stress
8 Be sensitive to trauma and burn out
9 Lead with empathy
10 Prove that your building is healthy
11 Reject virtual work at your company’s peril
12 Be fair when deciding who works remotely

And .... 
13 make work inspiring at the office or not. 

Each one opens up a range of questions for conversation and consideration. 

Which of them are ringing bells for you? 

Read the full article or bookmark it for a later read. It’s a beauty!