Brent Colescott

Leading Innovation in Learning

Are We There Yet?

Are We There Yet?

Recent news articles are pointing to a weariness in the workforce from both Executives and Employees on the virtual aspects of the COVID induced “Work from Home” Revolution.  To be fair, I’ve heard it said we’re “Working from Home DURING a Pandemic” which is very different than just working from home.  But in the minds of many that we’re heading to an all virtual world, I’ve noticed a trend that points to a hybrid future of in-person and virtual coming sooner than many expect.  

It’s time to fly again.  After an 8-month hiatus from flying I recently flew to visit a close friend.  I must say it was exactly what I needed.  The familiarity of the drive to the airport, parking, even TSA, all my pre and post routines for business travel came back and it was glorious.  There were definitely concerns, not for me, but for the travel and hospitality industry as I walked past closed restaurants and shops.  Nothing I experienced caused me to fear for my safety.  Quite actually, it was the opposite.  The lengths the airlines and airports have gone for cleanliness make me wonder, why did we put up with such poor sanitation in the first place?  Planes have never seemed cleaner and they even encourage the “wipe-down” of your space before taking a seat. 

Upon boarding my flight, I was seated right at the door of the plane and struck up some conversations with the Flight Attendants as the passengers boarded.  It was easy to tell that they were grateful and relieved to be where they were.  I did have a more somber discussion with one flight attendant who is worried business travel will not return due to Zoom and virtual meetings.  I shared with her my opinion that it will come back, although differently, but that business travel could not entirely be replaced by virtual meetings.  Thankfully we’re starting to see some positive signs of a recovery.

I’ll be the first to admit to being saddened when I see projections move from 2022 to 2023 to 2025 before business travel returns to 2019 levels.  However, I take joy in the news about airports seeing an uptick in passengers that wasn’t expected.  Just this week it was reported that the number of passengers screened in a single day for U.S. flights topped one million for the first time since March.  Still 60% lower than same time last year, but a welcome sign.  

Recent comments in United’s latest earnings report from their Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella stated: “This new remote work environment, I think, could actually be a stimulus to business traffic. Workers may need to return to their corporate office a few times a month, so traffic may be different, but we think it will return.”  However, I think the CEO Scott Kirby wins the day with his quote: “The first time someone loses a sale to a competitor who showed up in person is the last time they try to make a sales call on Zoom.”  It’s worth noting a United commercial I recall seeing back in the ‘90s that goes to that person-to-person contact.  You can see it here: https://youtu.be/mU2rpcAABbA

Beyond business travel there are signs that a return to the office may be closer that we realize.  Of course, it won’t be back to the way things were.  There was an article in NPR that struck right at the core of a complete virtual workforce.  While I agree there are numerous benefits to working remote, I tend to agree with some of the points expressed by the CEO’s of JP Morgan Chase, American Airlines and Microsoft. They highlighted the lack of “creative combustion,” a “sterile work culture” and the need for human contact.  While we have proven our abilities to adapt quickly, working from home in the extreme is like any other example where the pendulum can swing too far to one side.

A recent conversation with my wife hit on many of these similar points as we discussed the Zoom phenomenon of 2020.  She is very involved in numerous organizations that often meet regularly to discuss their activities.  While in the past she was often worn out from running all over town to meet, she does miss it in some ways.  As she described it, the ability to pop in and out of a meeting within the prescribed timeframe gives her back the commute time, particularly when those meetings happen around dinner time.  However, she lamented the ability to have those side-bar conversations before and after the meetings that in some ways are just as important as the primary meeting.

This “Human” element is at the core of why the pendulum will swing back to a hybrid/flexible work and travel model.  It’s all about Our Need To Stay Connected, which I wrote about back in April.  Zoom Meetings and Virtual equivalents can only take us so far.  We need proximity to one another to truly understand each other and build trust.  Brainstorming sessions, sales transactions and even conferences thrive on the unscripted interactions that occur from being in the same place. 

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning the impact on schools and students.  The news doesn’t get any better for the Zoom Classroom Generation.  There are a growing number of reports showing the impact of online learning for students in K-12 and its not good.  One school district in North Texas reported “62% of virtual learners failing at least one class with 54% failing two or more. A second school district reported a 26% failure rate for virtual compared to 5% in person.  Teachers and Students are both stressed out and not seeing the full potential achieved.  I’ve even heard it said that our students from K-College could be set-back one year due to the pandemic and challenges of remote learning.

Josh Bersin has made note of calling this year “The Big Reset.”  Many things will change as a result of the pandemic.  However, my experience has been that extremes are just that, extreme.  I do believe we will see a moderation begin in 2021 as fears subside and many feel the ground firm up under their feet.  It’s clear that working remote or “WFM” has numerous benefits and should be considered a legitimate option for attracting and retaining talent.  That said, like many instances, one size does not fit all.  For the sake of our sanity, the Hospitality and Airline industries, the students and my Wife, I hope we can all reconnect in person soon.