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Meinungsbeitrag

The Home Office Lie

It's not e-mobility that threatens the automotive industry, but a dangerous new trend.

Christoph Erni, founder and CEO of Juice Technology, has placed the utmost importance on fresh fruit and high-quality coffee in the cafeteria of the new building. | Photo: Juice Technology
Christoph Erni, founder and CEO of Juice Technology, has placed the utmost importance on fresh fruit and high-quality coffee in the cafeteria of the new building. | Photo: Juice Technology
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Redaktion (allg.)

Two million years ago, a species began to emerge on a small sphere in the Milky Way, whose most significant ability is language. This made higher communication possible. Together with a sense of vibrations among creatures, facial expressions, and gestures, an interaction quality developed over time that enabled primates to achieve what today's economy brings. One of the most demanding industries, the automotive industry, has developed and perfected seamless internal and external interaction like no other. In Germany, thanks to these skills, the country leads the world.

It's logical. Since the beginning of management theory, it has been undisputed that close collaboration in teams, in entire companies, is central. Daily interaction, including interpersonal, is essential for creating a sense of unity. This, in turn, is the foundation of all group performance. Only this makes a company more than the sum of isolated hermits. The German automotive industry has achieved this even with engineers who sometimes tend to be loners. That's why Germany led the world for years.

And now someone wants to make us believe that all this has become obsolete overnight. Home office is the magic word of the moment. And the clever ones claim they achieve more at home than in the office.

Of course, you save a lot of time on commuting and can also save space in offices. But some employees simply fade away over time and only hang around the fridge, clean the apartment, and indulge in their hobbies. They barely notice what is happening at the employer because there is no longer any hallway gossip. Virtual meetings are time-efficient, but most of the (often) important statements between the lines are missing. Because it's not just language alone, but the invisible vibrations around it that make us so creative collectively.

Sure, it's more efficient to answer a few emails when no one walks into the office and "disturbs." The problem is that a company functions, grows, and succeeds precisely because of these "disturbances." Interaction is the key to success. Continuous exchange is fertilization, motivation, and problem-solving all at once. And it also prevents people from becoming lonely, having strange ideas, and becoming obese.

This had to be said. Automobile manufacturers – and all other companies that want to stay at the forefront: Bring your employees back from home offices and kitchens at least part-time, so they can work together properly again. Only this way will our industry remain vibrant, innovative, and at the top.

Translated automatically from German.
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