Last week I shared that I was taking a small break from my quest to visit PGi’s EMEA and APAC offices to attend a conference in Las Vegas. Before I head back to Stockholm, I’m making a stop at our headquarters in Atlanta, GA.

Like I’ve shared before, my Digital Nomad experience is not like most in that I have the luxury of dropping into PGi’s 30+ offices,  all of the world at any time. As someone who surprisingly loves the office experience, there is something truly magical that takes place when you get to work alongside your colleagues, on your home turf, hashing out the latest project plan. Even for those who don’t get goosebumps as the elevator reaches their office floor, the office still provides something that teleworking doesn’t just yet.

Spending Time Away From the "Ultimate Toolbox."

With this in mind, man cannot not live on teleworking alone and should consider supplementing their time on the road, with time in the office even if just once a month. At the same time, we continue to analyze why the office is powerful and try to bring solutions like iMeet and Enterprise 2.0 employee communities into the workplace to bridge the two.

Why the office is powerful:

• It’s the Ultimate Toolbox: Like walking in to your neighbor’s garage and seeing all the latest tools and equipment perfectly organized, when I walk into the office and see the printer of the future and my Star Wars-like phone, I feel I’m equip to “build” anything. Yeah, yeah, we might not have support for that mobile device or your preferred OS, but for most, the office is that ultimate workshop saving time and leading to a can-do outlook on the day.
• It’s the Main Line: Teleworkers often struggle to feel connected to the company’s mission, value and culture when on the road or working from home. The impromptu celebrations, the small updates you get in the break room, these things are nearly impossible to replicate at home – Think watching the game on TV vs being there in person. It’s still good, but it’s just not the same. We can’t forget to occasionally plug into the main line and recharge.
• It’s the Original Social Network: I’m a fool for friends in the workplace. I can’t help myself! There is something about working side-by-side with my colleagues that indefinitely leads to friendship. This level of camaraderie and team building has kept my projects running efficiently and my work productive. When working on the road I will hit a wall, throw my hands up and wish I had someone to turn my chair to or get a coffee with. Not everyone needs friends like I do, but for anyone who works on a team, team building is not achieved during an annual team retreat, it’s developed every day.

Last week at JiveWorld, I thought a lot about why we still meet in person. Technically we could have had the entire conference online, however I still believe there are aspects of working together in person that will never be replaced by the virtual connection. Until I’m completely proven wrong, we’ll see more “virtual office workers” and hybrids of office and home, much like I’m taking part in this year.

What about the office do you find magical?