According to a press release I was sent this week, almost half of us feel we are more productive working from home.

I was surprised it wasn’t more. I am midway through facilitating a series of workshops for the employees of one particular property company about the future of work. One of the things I have found is that just about everybody who has taken part is sure they have been more productive than ever over the last 12 months. Many cite not having much else to do, and time spent not commuting, as reasons for this, suggesting they have got a lot more done because they have been working a lot more hours.

This has made me think about how, as we tentatively emerge from lockdown and drift back to the office, overall productivity may go down. Some people may find it hard to adjust to being in a different environment, one which is noisier and full of distractions such as the novelty of “other people” to whom we are not related, or don’t live with.

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