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Working from Home - Episode 18
14 Plays5 years ago
WFH is the new thing people. As someone who has been doing it for a while, here are some thoughts on it. Be safe!
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Transcript
Introduction and Global Uncertainty
00:00:14
Speaker
Hi guys, welcome to the Expat Brad podcast.
00:00:17
Speaker
It's Salman Qureshi and we're talking about what the only thing that people are talking about and that's what is happening in the world because I don't know man.
00:00:26
Speaker
We have not, you know, I think there are a lot of people who are acting like experts right now but I don't know if anyone can really truly predict and tell us what's going to happen next because as far as I can tell it's been a while since we've had the last plague.
00:00:40
Speaker
What was it like a
00:00:42
Speaker
I'm kind of finding it funny when people share all kinds of articles about what we can learn from the past and blah blah blah because I don't know where are you guys getting this information from?
00:00:57
Speaker
Having said that, we're in this and we've got to find our way through it, through guessing and through just trusting our values and instincts and just going with it, right?
00:01:07
Speaker
And saying, I guess, like all human expeditions, we've got to stay positive.
00:01:14
Speaker
And this is like going into the unknown unlike any time before.
00:01:19
Speaker
So we're all Columbus on our way to America.
00:01:22
Speaker
And that's a bad analogy because when you know the real history, then, you know,
00:01:27
Speaker
Anyway, that's not the point of this podcast, right?
Remote Work Insights and Challenges
00:01:30
Speaker
My point is...
00:01:31
Speaker
We're now at a place where we got to figure out what to do next.
00:01:36
Speaker
And for a lot of people right now, it's working from home.
00:01:39
Speaker
And that's kind of bizarre because, you know, it's something I've always said people should be doing because I don't know why we all have to get into work and we have to do all the stupid meetings and see each other's faces.
00:01:52
Speaker
You know what I mean?
00:01:53
Speaker
But now we're at a place where people are having to work from home.
00:01:56
Speaker
And I'm kind of like, oh, this isn't as good for everybody.
00:02:00
Speaker
Maybe.
00:02:00
Speaker
I don't know.
00:02:01
Speaker
See, there's a few things I can tell you about working from home because I have been doing it for, God knows, I think 10 years now, right?
00:02:10
Speaker
And there's some really, really, really good plus points.
00:02:12
Speaker
I'll tell you, one of my favorite plus points was always looking out the window and seeing people being stuck in traffic right outside.
00:02:21
Speaker
And that was always fun to watch, not from a sadistic kind of view, fun from a point of like, oh my God, I don't have to go through that at least.
00:02:29
Speaker
So not having to commute, not having to rush to work was always on most days, except when I had projects and I did have to go out and meet people that apart from that, it was it was it was all good, you know.
00:02:42
Speaker
So the thing is, there's some real good positive points.
00:02:47
Speaker
A couple of studies show that you're generally happier, you're more productive in the short term at least, and that's what we think.
00:02:57
Speaker
It doesn't affect promotion the way people thought it would, right?
00:03:02
Speaker
But I think those studies, from what I know, were done on particular jobs and it might not be for everyone either.
00:03:08
Speaker
So now that we're forced into it,
00:03:10
Speaker
We're going to find out how good and bad it is and what kind of cost it has and blah, blah, blah.
00:03:15
Speaker
But I think you also, people at work always make a big deal out of shit as well.
00:03:19
Speaker
So if you're stuck at home and you're feeling lonely, that's the biggest problem.
00:03:23
Speaker
Working from home is you start feeling isolated.
00:03:26
Speaker
You don't have colleagues to bounce off ideas off.
00:03:29
Speaker
You don't have someone to chat with, take a break.
00:03:32
Speaker
Well, you might have family, but you know, we know what.
00:03:36
Speaker
Okay, we're not going to go there.
00:03:37
Speaker
All right.
00:03:38
Speaker
So it's not easy talking about work with family for a lot of us.
00:03:42
Speaker
All right.
00:03:43
Speaker
So what do you do?
00:03:44
Speaker
I think I think it's very simple.
00:03:47
Speaker
Just get on get on some online Skype or whatever that you can use, especially in the UAE.
00:03:52
Speaker
I don't know if we've unblocked stuff.
00:03:54
Speaker
UAE TR if you're listening.com.
00:03:56
Speaker
Please, this is the time to open up VOIP or is it VoIP?
00:04:01
Speaker
I don't know what you call it.
00:04:02
Speaker
Just just allow us to use Skype.
00:04:04
Speaker
OK, it's a it's an important time for businesses, for individuals who want to reach out to their families and friends and just generally work better.
00:04:11
Speaker
All right.
00:04:11
Speaker
So.
Economic Impacts of Global Events
00:04:12
Speaker
good time to open it up people um other for for the rest of us if you're a manager if you're a teammate just call in just check in do do do a video con call five minute thing every day you know you'll feel connected to people you'll feel connected to your work uh it's as simple as that really you know so while there is that danger the solutions are fairly simple and we don't have a choice right now
00:04:37
Speaker
I mean, you know, the world's just confused and it's funny.
00:04:40
Speaker
I mean, I've got personal experiences with friends who are facing closure of their businesses, potential job loss.
00:04:50
Speaker
So, you know, this is really hitting home now.
00:04:52
Speaker
And like a lot of people said before, more than just the disease, it's the economic fallout that's going to hurt a lot of people.
00:05:00
Speaker
So, you know, it's time for humanity to
00:05:03
Speaker
to get together know what I'm saying but not get together because we're not allowed to get together spiritually all right so um if you're stuck at home and you're tired of the internet and watching Netflix and YouTube by the way those guys are Netflix and YouTube are apparently uh slowing down the speed because that's just what we needed right now but apparently there's so much traffic that they're having to do that and it's very interesting times um you
00:05:30
Speaker
I could not have predicted this.
00:05:32
Speaker
Did anyone really predict this?
00:05:33
Speaker
There's some stories going on about Bill Gates and knowing about this, predicting some kind of breakout like this.
00:05:40
Speaker
I guess some of the smarter people did.
00:05:42
Speaker
But hey, who wants to listen to smart people, right?
00:05:46
Speaker
Am I right?
00:05:47
Speaker
High five?
00:05:48
Speaker
No, no, no, no.
00:05:49
Speaker
High five.
00:05:49
Speaker
I'd rather...
00:05:50
Speaker
Virtual hi-fi.
00:05:51
Speaker
Cool.
00:05:52
Speaker
Cool.
Adapting to Uncertainty and Living in the Moment
00:05:53
Speaker
The fallout's affecting global events and everything as well.
00:05:56
Speaker
You guys probably know by now, you know, the Olympics.
00:06:00
Speaker
They're the only ones who are like, no, we might still do it.
00:06:02
Speaker
It's bizarre, isn't it?
00:06:03
Speaker
Everybody else, like NBA, football, everybody's like, all right, man, we're going to call it off.
00:06:09
Speaker
And all the big events are like, okay.
00:06:11
Speaker
As far as June, they're just like, all right, man, we're just going to postpone stuff.
00:06:14
Speaker
And the Olympics, Japanese people are just like, nope, we're going ahead.
00:06:18
Speaker
We are going to do this.
00:06:20
Speaker
And I get it.
00:06:20
Speaker
All right, for those of you who are quick to kind of just say, hey, that's such a bad idea.
00:06:26
Speaker
How can they be so stupid?
00:06:28
Speaker
There's a lot of implications of it.
00:06:31
Speaker
Firstly, the economic loss to the tourism that they were expecting, the infrastructure they've invested in.
00:06:39
Speaker
And if they delay it, it's not easy to just push it ahead because other sports will want to put on stuff, TV rights.
00:06:46
Speaker
I don't know.
00:06:46
Speaker
There's a lot of mess behind it.
00:06:48
Speaker
So I get that they're stalling and they're hoping that
00:06:52
Speaker
At this point, you know, some of the experts are saying it could end in weeks.
00:06:56
Speaker
It could even go on to three to six to nine months.
00:07:00
Speaker
And we got to get used to that reality and expect it.
00:07:02
Speaker
Right.
00:07:03
Speaker
So Olympics, I don't know what to do with you guys and parents.
00:07:08
Speaker
Take it easy, man.
00:07:09
Speaker
I've had a lot of.
00:07:10
Speaker
parents complain about bored kids.
00:07:13
Speaker
This isn't about entertaining them right now.
00:07:16
Speaker
I'm sorry, but they're stuck.
00:07:18
Speaker
Look up online.
00:07:19
Speaker
You'll find some activities for them to do.
00:07:21
Speaker
If they're using too much screen TV, it's not the right time to think about screen time.
00:07:28
Speaker
In the short term, just let them do what they want to do.
00:07:31
Speaker
Like we said, no one knows how to deal with this.
00:07:35
Speaker
If we're just stuck on little details and
00:07:38
Speaker
You're going to go crazy from an improv point of view.
00:07:41
Speaker
It's a bizarre one for me because, you know, I've always I've been training people on improvisation, the skills and techniques.
00:07:47
Speaker
And one of the things we always talk about is being in the moment and and knowing that life is improvised.
00:07:52
Speaker
And so you're constantly, you know, kind of finding your way through stuff and reacting as best as you can.
00:08:00
Speaker
And this is.
00:08:01
Speaker
It's just the biggest example of that, right?
00:08:03
Speaker
So we don't know what to do.
00:08:07
Speaker
And I think the best way you can deal with it is to be in the moment and just take what's in front of you right now.
00:08:15
Speaker
It's life telling us to slow down.
00:08:17
Speaker
I know it's hurting.
00:08:18
Speaker
It's hurting us a lot.
00:08:20
Speaker
There are people in real danger and
00:08:24
Speaker
But the only thing we can do is slow down, guys.
00:08:27
Speaker
Slow down.
00:08:28
Speaker
Be in the moment.
00:08:29
Speaker
Look at what's in front of you and build from there.
00:08:32
Speaker
All right?
00:08:33
Speaker
Don't try jumping ahead and thinking about that.
00:08:38
Speaker
Like I said in my earlier podcast, I was planning stuff 10 years into the future.
00:08:42
Speaker
And now you got to stick somewhat to your long-term plan as well.
00:08:46
Speaker
And, you know, you might still have the same goals.
00:08:47
Speaker
You might reflect on life and go, you know what?
00:08:49
Speaker
Now that's not important anymore to me.
00:08:51
Speaker
So, you know,
00:08:52
Speaker
Either way, just take it one day at a time.
00:08:55
Speaker
That's what we got to do.
00:08:56
Speaker
And don't be stupid about it.
00:08:58
Speaker
And just get on with things and, you know, do what you can in front of you.
00:09:03
Speaker
And whatever happens, you know, just talk to people and bounce off ideas.
00:09:09
Speaker
And it's not easy to tell people not to get depressed.
00:09:13
Speaker
But be conscious of the fact that you could go into depression sometimes.
00:09:17
Speaker
Talk about that more.
00:09:19
Speaker
Talk to people.
00:09:19
Speaker
Reach out.
00:09:20
Speaker
Connect.
00:09:21
Speaker
And like I said, don't touch hands, but just be around for each other, okay?
Conclusion and Podcast Support
00:09:26
Speaker
Thank you for listening.
00:09:28
Speaker
We'll be updating you.
00:09:29
Speaker
I'll be podcasting a bit more regularly, so listen in.
00:09:33
Speaker
And when I get time, I'll look up at different issues and see.
00:09:36
Speaker
This one was a little bit about tips about working from home.
00:09:39
Speaker
There's not a lot to...
00:09:41
Speaker
Think about just to sum up, you know, just just get on with it.
00:09:44
Speaker
Concentrate, find a place at home that gives you a little peace.
00:09:46
Speaker
Connect with your colleagues over a phone, whatever you can use at some points in the day.
00:09:51
Speaker
And that feel, you know, help you feel like you're still at work and whatnot.
00:09:55
Speaker
And it's not a bad thing.
00:09:56
Speaker
Working from home might be a good way for companies and people to be more productive anyway.
00:10:01
Speaker
All right.
00:10:03
Speaker
Good luck with everything.
00:10:04
Speaker
Like always, I've got a subscription plan on my podcast.
00:10:08
Speaker
It would help me keep going, especially at this time when there's little work for people like me to do live events and whatnot.
00:10:15
Speaker
So if you can, subscribe to my podcast.
00:10:17
Speaker
The link will be in the description.
00:10:19
Speaker
And it's a $2 a month thing minimum.
00:10:23
Speaker
You can cancel anytime.
00:10:24
Speaker
You can make a small contribution if you want.
00:10:26
Speaker
Whatever you contribute will go a long way in helping me deal with this.
00:10:30
Speaker
All right.
00:10:30
Speaker
So thank you very much for listening.
00:10:32
Speaker
And I'll catch you guys all soon.