How Virtual Reality May Affect Virtual Offices

Are office spaces going away? Well, does anyone remember the personal office–complete with a door? Neither do I. The only time I see a personal office is in old movies. I do remember cubicles though–oh, I hated those with a passion. But, even cubicles are going the way of the dinosaur.

The trend right now is community office spaces where everyone shares a large table. These are called “hot desks” that everyone uses, and no one owns. But, when many companies are trying to save more money, why bother with a large real estate bill? This is why companies will probably start going office-free. It makes sense–workers can do everything from managing projects, to sharing projects–online. If a company needs an address, they can rent a virtual office. Then, that monthly rent or mortgage bill can go back into the business.

Do you need a physical office?

Not necessarily. Everyone wants to work from home anyway. People have grown weary of sacrificing their lives for corporations only to have little to show for it in return. Companies are no longer loyal to employees and vice-versa. Many people are starting to see that the world is changing, and the only thing you can count on are good friends, family and experiences. So, they want to spend more time with the latter.

The only way you can do so–while, still making enough money to pay the bills–is by working at home. If you need the staff to meet in person–that can be arranged. On the other hand, you can hire anyone you want–from anywhere in the world. There are also no barriers to when and where an employee works. Set the work parameters, and deadlines, and let employees meet them on their own terms.

How to be successful in a virtual office

1. Be accountable. Outside of emergencies, build trust by meeting your deadlines and contributing to the team. You should also be accessible. Whether it is through email or instant message, give your employer an avenue for reaching out to you.

2. Offer the best. Show the company that you can be counted on to provide quality work, even if you don’t commute to a physical office. In a virtual office, you will need to keep yourself motivated. How you choose to do that can vary. Nonetheless, the overall objective is to prove yourself and your work. Try thinking outside the box.

3. Practice time management. You don’t have anyone to come by your desk to check up on you. So, set aside a block of time for work everyday. It can be a specific number of hours or a certain time of day. Do what works best for you. Many find that working in the early morning hours easier because there are fewer distractions. On the other hand, some people are night owls and do their best work then. Either way, you still need to manage your time accordingly. Working from a virtual office does not mean you can watch YouTube videos all day long.

4. Determine your best working environment. Some people like to work from home, others like to work from a coffee shop or in a co-working environment. There are times when the home presents one-too-many distractions. It is important to figure out where you can concentrate best. In order to blossom, you need to set yourself up for success. Of course, balance is also critical. Changing your environment can help keep things fresh.

Virtual reality

If you want to take the virtual office to the next level, perhaps your team can try virtual reality. One app, called Bigscreen, allows users to share their monitors in virtual rooms. Email and Skype are not new, but what is novel is VR where you can see neck and head movements, along with hearing other people’s voices. Imagine holding a meeting in VR.

The other benefit is workers can leave expensive cities and stressful commutes. They can live where they want such as in rural areas or smaller cities, while still holding the same job. VR may be in its early stages, but think of how it may affect urban planning and virtual offices 10 years from now.

How do you manage your virtual office? Have you looked into utilizing VR for meetings? What do you think might happen to major cities if companies forego office spaces?