Productivity and remote working: Dr Matthew Davis in BBC ‘Beyond the 9-to-5’
Dr Matthew Davis featured in the BBCs online Worklife series on 9 May 2020 in an article discussing motivation and productivity when working from home.
The article, titled ‘Why are some people better at working from home than others?’ explores the effects of different personality types and psychology on productivity, motivation, and procrastination in the new world of remote working, or ‘teleworking’, amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Matthew Davis, Associate Professor in Organizational Psychology, suggested that those individuals who are typically more extroverted and who derive their energy, job enjoyment and motivation from ‘water-cooler chat’ and their social environment, may find themselves struggling to adapt to working away from the office. Dr Davis said:
Those who rely on their social environment to enjoy their jobs, stave of monotony and keep up motivation may find themselves disadvantaged.
Dr Davis encourages those struggling to try to set up regular calls with colleagues.
Turning his focus to people who are more introverted, Dr Davis admits that home working isn’t necessarily an ideal scenario either. He suggests that video calls can be a source of discomfort due to an individual being the sole focus of the camera, and more introverted people may find it difficult to speak up during video meetings or calls.
Admitting that a wide range of personalities may struggle with the current working situation, and find it difficult to work to their full potential, Dr Davis encourages people to be kinder to themselves in understanding that some people will inevitably find the transition easier- who are both more naturally organised and disciplined, and are comfortable with connecting with colleagues in a different way and setting.
As for increasing work productivity, Dr Davis encourages honest self-reflection, creating boundaries, and practice to develop more productive habits in the home-office.
