When distance makes people closer

This post is written by Caroline Bureau, Negotiator at Parks Canada Agency

• The problem: The pandemic has forced most public servants to suddenly work in a completely different environment, with a new approach and multiple new tools.
• Why it matters: In a changing world, new solutions had to be found quickly to continue providing the services to the Canadian population.
• **The solution: **While new situations offer both keys and challenges, being all in the same boat helps understand each other, find better solutions for all and develop resilience.

Since March 2020, while I have gained weight, my pile of documents has become much thinner! At home, I no longer have the facility to print my documents to correct them or take handwritten notes, so I have less paper to manage, lose and file. PDF editing tools allow me to annotate documents, although some files digest it less and get corrupted. There are pros and cons everywhere.

While many suffer from the lack of social interaction in the office, I am one of the majority who has taken to telecommuting. I am more focused and efficient at home where I am not distracted by the noise of my colleagues. In the virtual world, I can just mute a conversation if I need to concentrate. I used to dream about it when I was in the office.

Having changed job and employer when the lockdown began, I've come to appreciate the undeniable benefits of working remotely when the entire team does the same. Previously, when colleagues worked remotely from the main office, they would join meetings via teleconference. If you've ever tried it, you know that the sound quality can be a pain. We often forget to speak loudly and close to the microphone. With the adoption of video conferencing, I was able to connect with my new colleagues across the country and integrated much more easily with my new team. All participants now pay attention to the sound quality and the video ensures that no one is forgotten.

On the other hand, my new job involves a lot of travel to meet with partners. The use of video conferencing has posed many challenges in developing relationships, but it has also allowed us to be everywhere at once, going from one meeting in the Atlantic to another in the Yukon in the same day, which was unthinkable before. Of course, this now involves juggling many different files in a day and it is mentally demanding. The security of the many technological solutions has had to be scrutinised by our IT departments and we have been able to manage sensitive files remotely using various technological options.

The case for remote work

While many suffer from the lack of social interaction in the office, I am one of the majority who has taken to telecommuting. I am more focused and efficient at home where I am not distracted by the noise of my colleagues. In the virtual world, I can just mute a conversation if I need to concentrate. I used to dream about it when I was in the office.

Working from home has even made relationships with colleagues and superiors much more human. Seeing a CEO scratch or kiss his cat as it comes up to the camera or a child curious about all the people on a small screen has allowed us to get to know each other better and develop empathy for one another.

Mental health has certainly been a big challenge for all. An office quickly set up in a kitchen away from a window had a devastating effect on my morale at the beginning of the lockdown. Once settled near a window with sufficient work surface and the essentials to ensure the ergonomics of my workstation, the winged gentry serenading by the window did the rest and I immediately felt better. And truthfully, I would not go back to the old normalcy for anything.

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(Image Credit: Unsplash)