Work or Coffee

Sitting in my favorite Santa Barbara coffee spot…..

I have written about Aaron and Kim and their business, Handlebar, in previous posts.  They have become a local institution having been in business for 13 years.  I was down this way for an advisory meeting at the University of California Santa Barbara, a visit with an “old” friend and to have dinner at my favorite restaurant in all the world – Bell’s.  Having a little time, I stopped in for a coffee and visit with Aaron.  I brought my laptop and took the time to sit there and work.  I see people frequently sitting in coffee spots with their computers doing work or maybe just hanging, but they are here, in the same place as others --- a working community.

There is something about the community of people that drives them to find places to work together.  There is an efficiency about it as well.  As the discussion continues about remote work versus in-office work, I have observed that people still congregate to work.   In spite of the appearance of multiple distractions, the people here are working diligently and in a very focused manner.  Maybe it is the social pressure of wanting to appear busy or the support of seeing others working.  Whichever rational you choose; you will work and be seen as a team player.  Perhaps it is the visual of people working that drives one to work in concert. 

The distractions at home are different.  No one is watching…left to my own devices and no one watching I can go outside, pull weeds, water plants, or go to the kitchen to make something to eat, or clean out my closet, or a drawer, or whatever meaningless distraction happens to grab my magpie lack of focus.

I liked the community of an office.  We might complain that we wished we were somewhere else but as long as we were here together, we might as well work and perform at our best. 

Although there is the appearance of community and support in the coffee bar office, we are still in our silos of insular effort.  We often are not talking to each other.  I am sitting next to a woman who is working and we are not speaking.   I don’t know her; I might bother her, but we are working and in our happenstance of a community, but we are alone.  The office has the advantage of the commonality of purpose and of familiarity.  We speak to each other and collaboration is achieved as the walls of unfamiliarity do not exist.

We are humans and are most comfortable when we are with others in support of a common goal.  Yet we strive to work remotely.  Here in the undesignated office, we find a community of others to work with.   In reality it is a cheap substitute because we are working next to rather than with.

One additional thought perhaps it is the drudgery and challenge of just getting to a place of work that is the real culprit.  If it were as easy to get to work as it is to find a coffee spot, would we be more willing to go to work in an office.  An office of community, friends and common purpose. 

One more advantage to office work for you distrusting types ---- your colleagues see you working rather than wondering if you are making a sandwich….