I’ve been in the working world for long enough to have some credentials – 38 years to be exact.  If I was advising my children, I would strongly suggest that they get back into the office as many days a week as possible and especially on Friday.  As a father, I believe that is good advice for younger workers.

As a business owner whose company provides a cloud workflow and critical document archive solution, that could be shooting myself in the foot.  The more people who work remotely, the more demand there is for businesses to have great solutions for remote workers to be productive.  But I think my fatherly advice is the correct advice overall and here’s why.

First, I think it is critically important for younger workers to build solid relationships and friendships with face to face interactions with their co-workers.  Those interactions may stop each day at quitting time or they may carry on at after work activities.  Real team building comes from shared experiences whether that is mutual love of the taco food truck, the company bowling team or just fun at the tavern Friday night.  All personality types benefit from these interactions.

Second, its imperative that people work together under pressure.  Nothing builds strong, long term relationships like a string of 70 hour weeks on a big project.  These interactions help you learn about your co-workers and yourself and that is essential to your career as you move up the ladder.  Like the first point though, the shared stress is usually punctuated with post work activities where deeper relationships are formed.

Lastly, take some of the new-found efficiencies derived from remote work experiences and incorporate those at the office.  Workflow solutions are still far superior to email and spreadsheets whether you sit five feet or 500 miles away.  Access to a well organized and reliable set of data and documents is critical always, not just when you are sitting at your kitchen table.

Nothing will benefit your career and your life better then developing good relationships at the office.  These relationships, like many I have been fortunate enough to have developed provide life-long friendships and a network of trusted contacts and advisers.  Father’s know a lot and fathers with loads of work experience know even more.  Get back to the office.

Millennia Group has been providing workflow and a critical document archive solutions since 1996 and I have been in the workforce since 1985 and a father since 1993.  www.mgdocs.com, mcipriano@mgdocs.com, 630-279-0577 x122.