The future of work is distributed, and it is terrifyingly lonely
If any of the thought leaders on LinkedIn are worth their salt, then the future of work is distributed. This means that as the world becomes more tech-savvy, more people will collaborate with each other across multiple locations in workplaces that are completely digital.
The effects of this are far-reaching and important. The effects it would have on the economy of labour are already starting to be experienced, and disenfranchised players might now have an opportunity to participate in the global economy. Companies can find pools of talent in a world where brilliance is evenly distributed, and the sheer diversity this creates will help fuel decades of innovation and development.
I do not at all claim to be an expert on the way the world works, or even claim to know the economics of labour in detail as it relates to the future of distributed work, or anything for that matter, however, I, as an engineer that has worked on distributed teams remotely for the better part of two years feel right at home discussing what it feels like on the ground floor of all this change.
Before we go further, I feel the need to make it clear that this distributed future is a scenario that I clamour for, throwing out the baby with the bathwater evokes such a visceral image that I don’t even attempt to do it metaphorically. With this in mind, I am excited for a future that is distributed, what I fear is that the dangers of a distributed workforce will be ignored until a time when the consequences of in-deliberate progress are ubiquitous and hard to ignore, just like the seat belt or twitter.
Loneliness. Before you label me a whiny millennial too in touch with his feelings, or some facetiously spiritual “know-it-all”, hear me out. Studies and intuition show that humans have evolved to be very social animals. One could even argue that our big brains evolved in the way it did so that Ngozi and Fred can gossip at the water cooler about who is wearing the fake Nike’s or hammer out foraging plans. At our core, we are social animals who find our place in the world by interacting with other humans. It is the reason why solitary confinement drives people mad, or increased isolation correlates with anxiety and depression. In other words, human interaction is one of the very things that keep us human.
Technology aims to mimic this human interaction. I build technology for a living, and I constantly marvel at the innovation and craftsmanship that my colleagues exhibit and possess. It is a true labour of love, and like every other human craft, it is imperfect. Regardless of the genius of your 4k, ultra HD, super high def television, there is nothing quite like being in the arena, as the tension builds, so much so that you can cut it with a knife. The sweat dripping down your neck as Lebron goes up for a three to tie the game and misses with only seconds on the clock. The gasp in your throat as the scuffle results in the ball in Chris Bosh's hands. No television, at least no one in my experience, can mimic what it feels like as the ball leaves Ray Allen’s hands, and time stops, and your heart pounds in unison with all the other hearts sharing the experience of the ball sinking, nothing can simulate the feeling of being in the ensuing pandemonium. In a nutshell, technology is great, but the reality is better.
What does my hopefully good attempt at describing game 6 the 2013 NBA finals mean for distributed work? It essentially means that it’d be incredibly hard for technology to match up to the real deal. Being in the same room as those whose destinies are tied together with yours in an endeavour has a different feel to it and we know it. Of course, a video call serves the purpose of communicating, but in the age of social media relationships, we long for human interaction that is deep and intense. The absence of this I feel will be catastrophic, and we should at least entertain the thought as we build a future that is distributed.
Given my vast experience with working in a distributed fashion and numerous failed long-distance romantic relationships, I worry about these things. I admit that the problem is not so aggravated in my case, as whilst I work with people on the other side of the world, I still get to be surrounded by engineers doing the same. I guess the ability to imagine a world were this luxury doesn’t exist is why I feel so strongly about the effects of not having it at all.
I am not going to rattle on about problems without at least attempting to proffer some solutions, I only do that at lunch. These are some of the things I think we can do to minimise the doom and gloom, but mostly gloom, of the distributed future of work:
Sick Virtual Reality: I am not giving up on technology yet. I believe that given time and effort, we will create technology that simulates real life so well that a conference call will seem primitive and inhumane. Of course, this opens a Matrix-style can of worms and we don’t know if this will come to reality before distributed work becomes the norm, in any case, remember the bathwater?
Co-work spaces and hubs: These already exist in tech eco-systems across the world. People come in and use space in small time increments. I feel like these could play a really good role in satisfying the need for human interaction at the workplace, especially if this interaction is built into the experience in a respectful, inclusive way.
Cultural Integration exercises: Andela, a company that I work with does the very brilliant thing of having engineers who work remotely in countries across Africa, meet with their teammates for extended periods in what they call “Cultural Integration” exercises. I personally went through this, and I feel a greater sense of connection to my work and teammates. Meeting once or twice a year could go a very long way to connect people that work on distributed teams in ways that increase productivity and employee loyalty.
Go outside and play: We should all demote our phones back to the things they are: tools. As a lot of our social interactions are now digital, the importance of workplace human interaction is amplified. I say we drop our phones, get in touch with our interests and go outside, or use our phones as a funnel to actual human interaction. Young people who make the most of the workforce need to find other ways to hang out. I know a lot of people who work long hours without any attempt to go out and socialise. I do not completely blame them as “man wey no work, no go chop”, but relationships are what we are here for goddammit!
The future of work is distributed and it threatens to be lonely. It doesn’t have to be so. We should be deliberate about our mental health in this future world, and whereas I do not know what the answers are, I hope I have been able to inspire all of you to think about this potential problem and channel the innovation that has brought us this far, into building a distributed future that preserves our humanity.
“man wey no work, no go chop” is a Nigerian saying that means, we must work hard to lead a life devoid of lack.
