Is the Work-from-Home Revolution Harmful? Inevitable?

Even before the pandemic, remote work was becoming increasingly common. With an unprecedented level of employees now Working From Home (WFH), how should missional enterprise leaders address this new reality?1

First, a quick review of the facts.

Here-To-Stay, But Still A Minority

Levels of remote work have reduced significantly from the peak during the pandemic, but are still well above pre-pandemic levels, and are expected at least to maintain those levels. According to a Harvard Business Review article:

Remote work spiked during the pandemic, from about 6% of full workdays in the U.S. to more than 50% in the spring of 2020. Since then, it’s steadily decreased and since early 2023 has hovered around 28%.

While every enterprise leader needs to evaluate the impact of this “new normal” on business productivity, those engaged in missional enterprise also must consider the impact of remote work on the other bottom lines they consider – making a difference in the community and making disciples of Jesus.

How does a leader of a missional enterprise succeed in an increasingly WFH world? Here are some thoughts to consider.

Be Aware Of Both Positive And Negative Impacts

In terms of the impact on our business goals, remote work can either enhance or detract from the accomplishment of those goals depending on the type of work involved. Another article from the Harvard Business Review highlights the difficulty of striking the right balance between working in-person and remote work. The article acknowledges that more than short-term productivity concerns are involved, and encourages leaders to distinguish between “task-based goals” and “relationship-based goals.”

Even when focusing on the short-term productivity impacts, the HBR article referenced earlier points out that, while remote work seems to be less productive than in-person work, it is also cheaper, possibly resulting in net productivity gains.

Companies are also seeing a mixed bag of impacts on their employees. A Forbes Advisor article reports that:

• 71% of remote workers said remote work helps balance their work and personal life.
• 69% of remote workers report increased burnout from digital communication tools.
• 53% of remote workers say it’s harder to feel connected to their coworkers.

Any business-impact assessment of remote work must include a clear-eyed acknowledgment of both pros and cons. But as missional enterprise leaders, we must look not only to the business impacts but to other aspects of the triple bottom line, and even the impact on ourselves as leaders.

Evaluate The Spiritual Impacts of WFH On Ourselves

When it comes to making a spiritual impact in the workplace, we should remember that our impact on our employees and coworkers will flow out of our own walks with the Lord. As many of us as enterprise leaders are also working remotely, we must acknowledge and address how new or increased levels of telework present unique challenges. Author Russell Gehrlein at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics describes several ways God has helped him address these challenges in his article “How to Faithfully Work from Home in a Season of Teleworking”. One key for Gehrlein is the discipline of experiencing God’s presence in this new work environment. He writes:

I still experience God’s presence while working alone. God freely gives me His peace, wisdom, and joy whether I am in the office or at home. However, the way that I bring the presence of God to others when I am not present with them is challenging for me. I have to rest that His presence is continuing to flow through me as I abide in Christ whenever I text, email, or have a video chat.

Sacrifice May Be Called For

Finally, as we seek to impact others for Christ in a life-to-life fashion, we must address how increasingly virtual interaction might detract from personal, life-to-life connections that are a key component of helping others become disciples of Jesus.

Author Jordan Raynor, in a series of articles on “A Gospel Perspective on Work in a Post-Pandemic World” suggests that, while we can “spend some time thinking about how to build relationships in a virtual environment,” nevertheless:

“the gospel may compel you to sacrifice your freedom to work from home so that you can be more intentional about building relationships with unbelievers in person”

At the US Navigators Missional Enterprises, while we have appreciated the opportunity to meet in several virtual M3 Cohorts of missional business owners and entrepreneurs, we have focused our energies on starting several in-person cohorts in this last year and will continue to emphasize in-person interactions when possible.

Verse(s) of the Week:

. . . you should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders . . .

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV)

Let’s meditate on these verses this week, asking God for wisdom to know how our “daily life” can positively impact others, even in an increasingly virtual world and workplace.