Is Remote Work Better Than Being in the Office? It's Complicated | Mark Mortensen | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: SF Huang

Over the past two years,

在過去兩年間，你聽過 幾次「時代變了」？

how many times have you heard that the times have changed

or about the new normal?

或聽到「新常態」？

There’s no shortage of opinions

關於遠距工作對企業 是有益還是帶來毀滅，

about whether remote work is for the better

or spells destruction for our businesses.

意見眾說紛云。

Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, said, "I don't see any positives,"

網飛的執行長里德‧哈斯汀說： 「我看不到任何正面影響。」

whereas Suresh Kumar, CTO of Walmart, said, "We haven't just coped.

而沃爾瑪的技術長蘇瑞許‧庫瑪 則說：「我們不僅能因應，

We've actually thrived."

我們還茁壯成長了。」

But what does the research say?

但，研究怎麼說？

How can we know, not just think, that hybrid working actually works?

我們要如何得知，而不只是認為，

混合式工作真的行得通？

There are so many questions.

有好多問題。

What's the right balance of work from home versus work from the office?

在家工作相對於在辦公室 工作的理想平衡是什麼？

And who gets to decide?

由誰來決定？是經理？還是員工？

Is it managers, is it the employees?

Is it both?

兩者一起決定？

How long can a given employee actually remain productive working from home?

員工在家工作能保持生產力 多長的時間？有極限嗎？

Is there a limit?

And who gets to work in each way?

誰又該以哪種方式工作？

What should it be based on in terms of criteria?

應該要根據什麼標準來決定？

Should it be based on seniority, task, personal situation?

應該要根據年資、 工作任務、個人狀況嗎？

The list goes on and on.

以及其他接踵而來的問題。

So many questions and unfortunately,

有好多問題，不幸的是， 沒有簡單的答案。

no simple answers.

The reason these questions are so hard to answer

這些問題如此難回答，是因為 我們把混合工作設計視為

is because we're thinking about hybrid work design as a single problem.

單一個問題。

One problem to solve, when in fact, it's actually three different ones.

只有一個問題要解決，但事實上，

其實是三個不同的問題。

The first problem is are we able to effectively deliver

第一個問題是：我們能否有效實現

on our stakeholder commitments?

我們對利害關係人的承諾？

This is otherwise known as the effectiveness debate.

這通常被稱為效益辯論。

The second is will we be able to attract and retain the talent that we need?

第二個問題是：我們能否 吸引和留住我們需要的人才？

This is the staffing discussion.

這是人員配置討論。

And the third is can we maintain or even cultivate, nurture, our culture?

第三個問題是：我們能否維持，

或甚至培養、培植我們的文化？

This is the talk about social fabric.

這是關於社會結構的討論。

Let's take a minute to highlight the challenges inherent in each one.

讓我們先花點時間來點出 每個問題本身的挑戰為何。

I've been working with a range of organizations over the past two years,

過去兩年間，我和許多 不同的組織合作過，

協助它們決定它們未來的 工作應該是什麼樣子的。

helping them determine what their future of work should look like.

Now, I'm not here to make a broad statement

我並不是要來做一個廣泛的聲明，

that remote work is or is not universally good.

說遠距工作是普遍來說 是好的或不好的。

I think we're all smart enough here to know

我想大家都夠聰明，

that nothing works all of the time.

都知道沒有什麼是永遠行得通的。

I am, however, here to warn you that we need to be wary of our data.

然而，我在此要警告各位， 我們要謹慎處理我們的資料。

Let me give you a couple of examples.

讓我舉幾個例子。

Many people point to their organization's effectiveness during COVID

許多人認為，在疫情期間 他們的組織有很高的效益，

as proof that they're actually good at remote work.

那就可以證明他們很擅長遠距工作。

Now it is proof that remote can work, but not that it necessarily will.

嗯，那是證明了 遠距工作可以行得通，

但不表示一定行得通。

COVID was a massive social experiment with unique conditions.

新冠疫情是個巨大的社會 實驗，有獨一無二的條件，

Most organizations dealt with it by cutting the fat

大部分組織的因應方式 是減少不必要的部分，

and becoming laser-focused on short-term efficiency.

並超專注在短期效率上。

In effect, we were productive because we were in survival mode.

實際上，我們那時很有生產力 是因為我們處在生存模式中。

But the question we have to ask is whether that's sustainable.

但我們得問的問題是

它是否能一直持續不斷。

Data shows around the world

資料顯示，全世界 大家的工作時數增加了，

that people's working hours have increased,

and many say that they actually find it harder

且許多人說，他們覺得越來越難 區分工作和生活的界線了。

to delineate work-life boundaries.

Data also shows that the experience wasn't the same for everyone.

資料也顯示，每個人的體驗不同。

With “The Economist” data showing that parents of school-aged children

《經濟學人》的資料顯示， 學齡兒童的父母

experienced much greater stress than many others.

所經歷到的壓力 比其他許多人更大很多。

而微軟的資料顯示，連我們 工作的方式也被改變了，

And data from Microsoft shows that it's actually even changing the way

in which we work,

with people working more hours but less collaboratively.

大家的工作時數更長， 但協同合作地更少。

The question of whether we can effectively work remotely

「我們是否能有效地 遠距工作」這個問題

needs a contextual answer.

需要搭配情境的答案。

Contextual based on the people who are doing the work

情境的根據是做工作的人

and the tasks that they're trying to accomplish.

以及他們所欲達成的工作任務。

Remember, one size fits none,

切記，沒有單一尺碼能符合所有人。

and we need to think about the sustainability

且我們得要思考我們的效益 能否一直持續下去。

of our effectiveness.

Now, when it comes to the staffing discussion,

就人員配置討論來說，

ask anyone who has recently been involved with hiring.

去問問任何最近 有涉足到招聘工作的人，

The most common question that recruiters are being asked these days:

近期招聘人員最常被問到的問題：

"What is your flexible-work policy?"

「你們的彈性工作政策是什麼？」

In effect, we’re facing the same escalation of perks

實際上，我們現在所見的 就很像是在科技公司

popularized by tech companies during the boom.

在繁榮時期逐步增加的福利。

Do you have a barista pulling the perfect flat white in the lobby?

你們的大廳有咖啡師 調製完美的馥列白咖啡嗎？

Do you have nap pods? A ball pit? A slide?

你們有午睡躺椅嗎？球池？溜滑梯？

What about on-site daycare, right?

現場的托兒服務呢？

So then instead of work from home, we actually bring home into work.

我們不是在家工作， 而是把家事帶進工作中。

Your current or potential future employees are now weighing your hybrid work policy

你目前的員工或未來可能的員工 現在會評估你的混合工作政策，

as a key criteria in their decision of where they want to work.

這是他們決定是否想要 為你工作的重要標準。

And that is the crux of this staffing challenge.

那就是這個人員配置 挑戰的癥結所在。

What you need to recognize

你必須要知道，

is that the comparison isn't actually between work from home and office work.

員工比較的其實並不是 在家工作和在辦公室工作。

Instead, it's really between the perception of work from home

反而是在家工作的感覺

versus the perception of work from the office.

相對於在辦公室工作的感覺。

And you need to reclaim that narrative.

你必須要重新主導那個脈絡。

Let me give you a couple of examples.

讓我舉幾個例子。第一個例子 被我稱為恢復的通勤。

The first is what I call the recovered commute.

Many people have told me,

很多人會跟我說：

「我現在不用通勤， 就省下了好多時間。」

"I've saved so much time now that I don't have to commute."

My challenge to them?

我怎麼挑戰他們？

What did you actually do during your commute times?

你通勤的時候都做些什麼？

Maybe you read, maybe you caught up on calls or emails,

也許閱讀，也許回覆 還沒回的電話或信件，

maybe you just use it as time to decompress.

也許就只是用這段時間來抒壓。

Personally, I used to get an hour to shake off a particularly rough,

我個人以前會有一小時 時間把特別難受、惱人、

annoying, frustrating day before I got home.

讓人挫折的一天給甩掉，

然後再回家。

Now it takes me exactly six seconds to be immersed in my family upstairs.

現在我只有六秒鐘， 就要融入樓上的家人。

Another example, the after-meeting postmortem debrief over a coffee, right?

另一個例子，會議後 喝杯咖啡來做檢討匯報。

We use that to do some relationship repair,

我們用這種方式來修復職場的關係， 或一起找出共識之類的。

maybe to do some collective sense-making.

The most important thing to recognize here

這裡最重要的是要知道， 最要緊的是實際體驗，

is that what matters most is the experience,

not just what the policy is.

並非政策本身如何。

We need to reclaim the narrative to help ensure that everybody recognizes

我們必須要重新主導那脈絡，來協助

確保大家都知道採取某個方法 會讓他們得到或失去什麼。

what a given approach either buys or loses for them.

And this brings us to the social fabric.

這就要帶到社會結構了。

Think about what happened when you joined your organization.

想想你加入你的組織時 發生了什麼事。

You probably went to orientation.

你可能參加過新人教育訓練， 也許你會四處看看，

Maybe you looked around,

you talked to some people, you observed

和一些人聊聊、觀察、 了解在這裡工作是怎樣的。

and you learned what it's like to work here.

Why does that matter?

那有什麼重要的？

Well, because our research shows reductions in things

因為我們的研究顯示，如果 心理安全感和信任等等減少，

like psychological safety and trust, changes to power dynamics,

會改變權力關係， 增加孤立和寂寞的感覺，

increased feelings of isolation and loneliness

when we are working remote from one another.

當彼此遠距工作時就會發生這狀況。

Importantly, all of these shape our cultures

重要的是，這些都會 形塑我們的文化，

and make this conversation even more difficult.

讓這種談話變得更困難。

And on top of that,

且，除此之外，

social systems are dynamic, emerging, evolving human systems.

社會體系是動態的、 新興的和不斷演化發展的人類體系。

Now, I'm going to be honest, I don't have the answer to this.

坦白說，我沒有這個問題的答案。

And honestly, anybody who tells you they do,

老實說，宣稱有答案的人 只是想推銷什麼給你。

they're trying to sell you something.

We do know about different approaches to building

我們確實知道一些不同的方法 可以在這些情境中建立文化，

and establishing culture in these contexts.

What we have to recognize is they operate in ways that may not be the same

我們必須要知道， 它們的運作方式可能不同於

as the way we built culture when we were face to face.

我們在面對面時所建立的文化方式。

What we have to remember here

我們要記住，

is that organizational culture is a long game.

組織文化是長期的遊戲。

What we do right now affects the social fabric of our organizations

我們現在所做的

會影響我們組織的社會結構，

and will have repercussions down the line.

且後續還會有其他後果。

So when it comes to the social fabric,

所以，談到社會結構時，

we need to think not only about today,

我們不能只想著現今，

but about tomorrow, next month, maybe even next year.

也要思考明天、下個月，也許明年。

I hope you recognize that these are three distinct conversations

我希望各位能了解， 這三種不同的談話

that are also not fully independent.

也不是完全獨立的。

We also have to recognize what makes this challenging

我們也要知道， 這之所以很困難是因為

is that they are almost ideologically different positions

他們對於組織中能創造價值的因素，

about what creates value in your organization.

有著不同的意識型態立場。

Is it about the output of what you produce?

重點是你的產出嗎？ 是組織中的人嗎？

Is it about the people in that organization

or something in the ether, the culture?

或者兩者中都有的文化？

The first most important step is getting these issues on the table,

最重要的第一步是要 把這些議題搬上檯面，

having an open conversation.

進行開放的談話。

And this is far from easy.

這一點也不容易。

但如果你發現你和別人 在這些議題上有歧見，

But if you find yourself in disagreement with somebody over these issues,

whether it's a boss, a subordinate or your leadership,

不論是你的老闆、下屬， 或你的領導階層，

I challenge you, ask yourself,

我要挑戰你，捫心自問，

do you really disagree on how to create effectiveness,

你們的歧見真的是 在於如何創造效益、

deal with staffing or the culture of the organization?

處理人員配置或組織文化嗎？

Or is it maybe just that you have slightly different prioritization

或者也許你們只是 優先順序有些微的不同，

of those three different parts of the whole hybridity conversation?

對整個混合工作談話的三個 不同部分有不同的重視程度？