When you mention that you work in communications on a first date, or when your friends ask you about your job on the weekend, there\u2019s a certain air of mystery about you\u2014have you noticed?<\/p>\n
Somewhere between *99 Francs* (which is already 20 years old!) and the fantasies about Google and Silicon Valley, you represent a kind of avant-garde, creative, passionate, and cool elite (emoji here?)<\/p>\n So naturally, you\u2019re familiar with the ping-pong table, the flexible workspace, brainstorming sessions, and escape games with colleagues.<\/p>\n So what a surprise when your manager denies you your 1, 2, or 3 days of remote work per week (check the box)… You ask yourself: <\/p>\n Why are some agencies reluctant to allow telework?<\/p>\n You’re ready for it. And it helped you finish the Panzano reconnaissance run, or deal with the L’Or\u00e9ole customer while you were waiting for the Darty delivery person, or when Junior had chickenpox. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n You have a nice MacBook Pro for this purpose. An iPhone 48. And full access to the agency\u2019s drive. You even know how to forward calls from your landline to your cell phone in 15 seconds using just your left hand (you tried it out one night at a cocktail party, but that\u2019s beside the point). <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Rest assured, you are not alone. Surprisingly, many agencies (digital or otherwise) are still reluctant to let their employees work remotely for all or part of the week.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n During the COVID-19 pandemic, and after a period of lockdown during which everyone had begun to settle into a routine, it seems surprising that once the emergency was over, all these service sector employees\u2014the kings of intellectual services\u2014were asked to return to their offices, with public transportation thrown in as a bonus.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Why, oh why? Let’s take a look at the suggestions. <\/p>\n First of all, that’s what you think.<\/p>\n Brainstorming works better when we’re all in the war room, working up a sweat over the Burger Queen proposal<\/em><\/p>\n We exchange ideas, we argue, we get carried away, and we end up finding the three tracks we want for tomorrow. And then, how can we give Ben feedback on the creative process without standing next to him for half a day, sharing a breath and some Haribo? <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Not to mention the Monday staff meeting, which is a must-attend!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Since the 2000s, however, researchers have repeatedly shown that the belief that group effort leads to greater creativity is a myth.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n An analysis of 241 different studies involving 24,000 participants in the *Psychological Bulletin* concluded that the presence of others had almost no effect on task performance, and certainly not in the way Osborn had hoped.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The presence of others “increases the speed at which simple tasks are performed and decreases the speed at which complex tasks are performed”<\/strong><\/p>\n You applied here after seeing the Instagram photos of the parties and following the agency on Snapchat. Obviously, when you’re in your 30s (give or take 10 years), the atmosphere and the relationships between coworkers are important. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n “You like to talk about your vacations during coffee breaks. Discover that little restaurant in the neighborhood that doesn’t look like much but is actually amazing with your coworkers. And wrap up those busy weeks with a well-deserved after-work drink.” <\/p>\n<\/p>\n And yet, several agencies have opted for remote work, and some have even given up their offices following the lockdown!<\/strong> In-person events, such as team-building activities or seminars, are therefore held on a regular basis. And this seems to be quite popular with the employees… <\/p>\n<\/p>\nSuggestion #1: We need to be physically together to create value at the agency.<\/h2>\n
Suggestion #2: Does teleworking undermine team cohesion?<\/h2>\n