Taking a break from my usual tech articles, I thought about what good came out of COVID-life. The 3 lighthearted things I realized were:
- I like working remotely
- I like spreading fewer germs
- I like being at home
1. Work Remote Evolution
I wasn’t always a good WFH employee. I had trouble focusing, took a lot of naps, and felt like I was back in college always catching up with late reports and projects. But after 2yrs, I learned how to be effective and have built Schwarzenegger-like remote-work muscles. Zoom, Slack, and my work iPhone keep me fully connected and reminded of everything I need to do.
I’m not alone, others have proven that good people, given the right tools, clear tasks, and expectations can deliver the goods all the while enjoying more time with family, reducing commute time, and saving money (dry cleaning bill this year? $0).
2. Thank you for not shaking my hands
“Cleanliness is next to godliness” — not from the Bible
Here’s a secret, I actually didn’t like shaking hands with people 20yrs ago. My germaphobia goes back to 2005 when a group of my coworkers had a gossip circle talking about which people in the office had gone to the toilet and emerged without even rinsing their hands. It was a long list. I personally noticed a few colleagues do the same in other jobs over my career.
To avoid handshakes I adopted macho fist-bumping escape 10yrs ago or sneezed in my hands as someone approached, but when the CEO shows up of course I go back to a good handshake since executive germs are somehow OK.
