Why is it good to do the exercise?

Do you have remote colleagues who get on your nerves? Maybe colleagues who make lots of avoidable mistakes. Do you work on-site and feel a stronger bond with others who are there in person—colleagues who are good at their jobs? You’re not alone. It’s human to judge people differently depending on whether we work physically together or not. In an article, management professor Catherine D. Cramton describes potential pitfalls of hybrid work. Among other things, she notes that hybrid setups increase the risk that on-site colleagues attribute remote colleagues’ mistakes to the person, while on-site mistakes are blamed on the situation. One reason may be that we have less visibility into our colleagues’ routines and performance when they’re not physically present. We’re helped, then, by telling each other what we’re working on. One way to increase visibility is to streamline communication and make it as inclusive as possible—regardless of whether someone works on-site or remotely.