{"id":4407,"date":"2024-09-14T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glia-leadership.com\/?p=4407"},"modified":"2024-09-14T05:11:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T03:11:50","slug":"my-department-chair-told-me-to-not-work-from-home-why-thats-a-bad-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glia-leadership.com\/?p=4407","title":{"rendered":"My department chair told me to not work from home\u2014Why that\u2019s a bad idea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2013Stefanie<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll be honest\u2013I don\u2019t love annual faculty reports. I find them stressful even when I am doing well. They often trigger insecurities that most of the time have nothing to do with my current performance and more with my people pleasing tendencies and my need to meet expectations. If I get a whiff of not doing well in those categories, rather than motivating me to try harder, it deflates me even though I\u2019d love to be this person who takes people\u2019s criticism and transforms it into something awesome. But often we strivers are our own biggest critics and don\u2019t need others to crack the whip on top of that. (Something to think about when we provide performance feedback to our teams\u2013a topic for a different day!<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year seemed smooth sailing at first\u2013even in the areas that I personally thought could be stronger. But then we got to the interesting part. The part where my chair shared that he has the impression that I am absent a lot and expressed the desire for me to be fully integrated with my team and my department colleagues. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was honestly a bit surprised: I consider myself fully integrated in the department. I just spent 6+ months taking my department colleagues through the Research Leadership Mastery <\/em>program. The work that I do with my team is part of my identity. It\u2019s super important to me and we have an extensive system to ensure there are many opportunities to interact, so that we as a team can do the best work possible and so that we as a team have a shared mission that we get excited about. The system is also in place so that each of us have uninterrupted time to do our work and be productive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I may have blind spots, so I decided to be curious and ask more questions. I also openly shared that I work 2 days per week from home. That is part of the uninterrupted work\/productivity system. But when I followed up with a second conversation, my chair made explicit that he does not want faculty to work remotely<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead he wants the department to be a place of high engagement, of integration, community and enthusiasm for the research we are doing. That\u2019s a vision I can fully get on board with! To double down on this statement: From my perspective, my chair does a great job of leading our department. We have a supportive culture and fun community. I like coming to work.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if I had to read deeper into our conversation, my understanding is that my chair equates working remotely with being disengaged.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employee engagement refers to the enthusiasm and commitment that you have toward your work. It plays a crucial role in an organization’s success, as it is closely tied to job satisfaction and overall morale. Engaged people tend to be more productive and perform at higher levels in their assigned roles. But they are also more likely to go above and beyond to help reach organizational goals (<\/strong>IJMR, 2022<\/strong><\/a>).<\/strong> And that is what this whole obsession that academic (and other) leaders have nowadays with engagement is really about.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet,  per my faculty evaluation, my commitment to meeting the goals of the department is reasonably high. I am engaged in committee work within my department, I direct a course, and I have several collaborations across campus and at other universities. In short, like most of us, I do a lot of things to help the department achieve its goals in addition to my research goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am able to NOT work late nights and weekends because I spend some of my work time not in the office.\u00a0<\/strong>

I can work and think better at home. I can really dig in. At home, I’m not distracted, and I can get into the flow. Sometimes, I realize that several hours have passed without me getting up or doing something else, while I\u2019ve worked on a manuscript or grant. Occasionally (typically close to grant deadlines), I get so focused that my husband just quietly places my dinner on my desk, so that I can finish what I am doing. That would not happen in the office\u2013no husband meal delivery service there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, everyone has a different working style. Recently, I read on social media about an employee at a big company who sued to be allowed back into the office. Why? At home, he couldn\u2019t concentrate, was constantly distracted, and couldn\u2019t get his work done. Fearing he\u2019d get fired, he wanted to return to the office. To each their own. If someone works better in the office and prefers it, then they should work there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, whether it\u2019s the office, home, or a coffee shop, we need a work environment that allows us to actually work. If my husband was running a daycare at our house, it wouldn\u2019t be a suitable place for deep work for me either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe I\u2019m experienced enough to decide how and where I want to work.<\/strong>

Of course, this comes with constraints. If you lead a team, you must be physically available. That’s why I\u2019ve dedicated one day a week to the team. On the other two office days, I am also physically present for the team, as long as I\u2019m not in a meeting or teaching. And if there\u2019s a pressing issue that my team can\u2019t solve alone, I\u2019m, of course, available for them on other days as well, via phone, Slack, or email.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I need time for my work, too. Ultimately, I\u2019m responsible for ensuring the team functions well and excels in the academic game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incidentally, not having time for deep work, like writing, is by far the most common and significant problem for our clients at GLIA Leadership. Everyone knows that this work generates the most value for the team and their research, but they get caught up in daily problems, service obligations, and the urge to \u201cjust help out quickly and then get to the real work.\u201d Physical distance helps a lot with this. It’s a bit like “out of sight, out of mind.”

And there is another reason why I won\u2019t be omnipresent.\u00a0<\/strong>

If I’m always in the office, there\u2019s a risk of creating a dependency culture where team members feel they need my approval for every step. That\u2019s not what I want. I expect my team to work independently. I don\u2019t want to be the problem-solver for the team; I want a team full of problem-solvers. But how can a team develop this independence if the “all-knowing” PI is always around? When I\u2019m working remotely, it subtly shifts the dynamic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several studies and surveys on remote and hybrid work vs. office work underscore my position:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hybrid and Remote Work in Higher Education<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Research from Harvard suggests that higher education institutions embracing hybrid and remote work models are better positioned to attract top talent. This research argues that physical presence does not equate to engagement or productivity.<\/strong> Flexibility in work arrangements is linked to higher job satisfaction (one driver of engagement) and the retention and recruitment of talented academics who prefer a more flexible working environment (Harvard Scholars).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employee Engagement and Remote Work<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A study from the University of East London emphasizes that while not without challenges, remote work can significantly enhance engagement<\/strong> by providing employees with autonomy and control over their work environment. The study points out that employee engagement in remote settings is less about physical presence and more about how well organizations manage communication, collaboration, and inclusion (UEL Research Repository).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community and culture<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even before the pandemic, fostering a strong departmental culture and community in academia was a challenge, as faculty within departments often work in different locations across campus and sharing the same physical space is limited to just a few groups. The shift to hybrid work has only amplified this issue, raising concerns about the loss of trust, connection, and informal knowledge sharing. However, it is entirely possible to create a vibrant community and specific culture in a hybrid work environment as this article in<\/a> Inside Higher Ed<\/a> points out. The key lies in intentional efforts to create points of overlap where faculty can engage meaningfully. <\/strong>This can be achieved through designated in-person days combined with formal meetings dedicated to sharing research ideas and discussing collaborations and informal gatherings that prioritize social connection. By investing in these opportunities for building community and also celebrating the benefits of flexibility, universities can not only preserve but strengthen their academic workplace culture in this new era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impact on Performance and Job Satisfaction\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another comprehensive study from Zenodo highlights that remote work positively impacts employee engagement and performance when technology, work-life balance, and human resource practices are well managed<\/strong>. This analysis shows that engagement in remote work settings often depends on the quality of virtual interactions rather than mere physical presence (Zenodo).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work-Life Balance and Flexibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Research published in the\u00a0 International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews further confirms that remote work improves employee engagement by offering flexibility, which enhances job satisfaction and reduces burnout.<\/strong> This study argues that mandatory on-site work can lead to increased stress and lower overall productivity (IJRPR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focused Work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Remote workers engage in more focused work compared to their in-office counterparts. The data from Hubstaff shows that remote employees average 22.75 hours per week of focused work, while those in offices manage only about 18.6 hours. This translates to a 22% increase in deep work time for remote workers.<\/strong> Additionally, remote employees face fewer interruptions\u2014about 18% less than office-based workers\u2014enhancing their ability to maintain concentration and productivity. For focused work, the remote environment provides fewer distractions, better control over one’s work setting, and more effective time management, making it ideal for roles that require deep, uninterrupted focus, such as writing, thinking or data analysis. (Hubstaff)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, productivity and engagement are deeply intertwined, yet the misconception persists that physical presence equates to higher engagement. In reality, true engagement stems from autonomy, a strong emotional connection to our work,  and the ability to focus without distractions. Research consistently shows that remote and hybrid work arrangements foster this deeper engagement by offering flexibility and reducing interruptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need someone in your corner to help design a work-life approach that works for you and is data-driven, we have our Research Leadership Program coming up. If that sounds intriguing to you, email me at stefanie@stefanierobel.com<\/a> or read a little more about it here<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Links to references:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. IJMR\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Harvard Scholars<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. UEL Research Repository<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Inside Higher Ed<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Zenodo<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. IJRPR<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Hubstaff<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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