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Mr Citrin and Ms Derosa also warn of the dangers of virtual meetings. Just because it is possible to schedule one does not mean it is necessary or wise to do so. Poorly run meetings do not just waste time, they jeopardise the ability to meet deadlines, adding to workers’ stress. Long meetings should have breaks, which the manager should take responsibility for enforcing. And any meeting should be 20 or 50 minutes long, rather than 30 minutes or an hour, to allow for a gap between sessions in an hourly schedule.
西特林和德羅薩還警告了虛擬會議的危險性。僅僅因為時間上可以安排，并不意味著這樣做是必要的或明智的。會議開得不好不僅浪費時間，還會影響員工按時完成任務的能力，增加員工的壓力。長時間的會議應該有休息時間，管理者應該負責執行。任何會議的長度都應該是20或50分鐘，而不是30分鐘或一個小時，以便在以小時為單位的會議安排間留出間隙。
At times, the authors’ advice becomes a little generic. Virtual meetings should have one of four objectives, they argue: to solve problems, make decisions, to gain support or build relationships. Sadly, in Bartleby’s experience, an inventive manager could describe almost all meetings as conforming to at least one of these criteria. Later in the book, they describe the most important characteristics for virtual leaders as including “strong communications and interpersonal skills, initiative, flexibility and the ability to learn and adapt”. Surely these are useful attributes for all leaders, whether operating remotely or not?
有時，作者的建議比較籠統。他們認為，虛擬會議應該有以下四個目標之一：解決問題、做出決定、獲得支持或建立關系。遺憾的是，根據巴特比的經驗，一個有創造力的經理可以將幾乎所有的會議描述為至少符合其中一個標準。在這本書的后面，他們描述了虛擬領導者最重要的特征，包括“強大的溝通和人際關系技巧、主動性、靈活性以及學習和適應的能力”。當然，這些特質對所有領導者來說都是有用的，無論是否遠程操作對吧?
And some of the suggestions seem distinctly offbeat. As part of team-building, the authors propose that colleagues display pictures on their bookshelves or give a tour of the kitchen and tell the stories behind the items within it. Much as Bartleby would love to hear about Bagehot’s egg whisk or Schumpeter’s salad spinner, he hopes this idea does not catch on at The Economist. The same goes for the suggestion that virtual festive parties would be enlivened by having staff dress up, with a vote on the best outfit, or for colleagues to submit videos of their children or pets. Pet videos should be confined to YouTube.
其中一些建議似乎非常不尋常。作為團隊建設的一部分，作者建議同事們在書架上展示照片，或者帶大家參觀一下廚房，講述里面物品背后的故事。盡管巴托比很想聽聽關于白芝浩的雞蛋打蛋器或熊彼特的沙拉旋轉器的事，但他希望這個想法不會在《經濟學人》流行起來。同樣，有人建議，通過讓員工盛裝打扮、投票選出最佳著裝，或讓同事提交自己孩子或寵物的視頻，使虛擬節日派對變得活躍起來。寵物視頻應該上傳到油管上。
A few things must change when people work remotely. But not everything does. Managers will need to make a more determined effort to keep in contact with their staff but those who are good at listening, and who can empathise with how their team members are coping, should still be able to flourish. If, as most people expect, a hybrid model emerges with remote working a couple of days a week, there will be plenty of scope for interaction when managers and team members are both present. What office life doesn’t need is gimmicks. Work colleagues do not need to be treated like game-show contestants.
當人們遠程辦公時，有些事情必須改變。但并不是所有事情都是如此。管理者需要更加堅定地努力與員工保持聯系，但那些善于傾聽、能夠同步理解團隊成員所做的事情的人，仍然能夠茁壯成長。如果像大多數人所期望的那樣，出現一種一周遠程工作幾天的混合模式，那么當管理者和團隊成員都在場時，將會有大量的互動空間。辦公室生活不需要花招。工作伙伴不需要被當作游戲節目的參賽者對待。
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