I was waiting for the 8.15am train from Parede to Paço De Arcos, a short distance on a train service that seems to be relatively safe and clean.
I put my mask on and walked to the end of the platform. As I was walking I passed somebody that I thought I knew but I didn’t immediately recognise. It was her hair and glasses that were familiar. Of course, she was also wondering where she knew me from – our children used to go to the same school.
I introduced myself and we chatted for a few stops about work and why she travels to Parque das Nações every day, a journey that take her over an hour.
She had tried working from home but it just wasn’t efficient. What she actually wanted – as all humans do – was a nice working environment which promoted collaboration and idea generation – and of course a space that promotes the company’s culture and values.
I thought, what if her company (a Bank) had an office located closer to her home in Parede. A place that wasn’t the ‘poor relative’ to the office in Parque das Nações. A place that provided wellbeing, flexibility, and sustainability credentials. She would also save 2 hours of commuting to work more and see her family.
Then I realised that the company does not need to invest megabucks into creating a satellite office or a ‘hub and spoke’ office strategy.
The cowork model (ensuring the cowork space is premium and promotes wellbeing) is actually perfectly poised to fill this void and over time we might actually end up with better workspaces spread more evenly around our Cities.
So, next time you are working from home, think about the benefits of working near home instead. It might just become a thing.