On being in the room

As a freelancer, working from home, I’m rarely physically in the same space as my clients and colleagues. This has pros and cons. I get to avoid office politics, the tedious colleagues who won’t stop talking about their aunt’s dog’s cousin’s operation and the high drama of whose turn it is to buy the milk. I have only the bare minimum of meetings to attend, and no HR or finance systems to wrestle with, no mandatory training or awaydays, and no poor performance to manage. And I get to focus on just doing the work; the research and the writing that I’m being paid to do.

But of course I also miss out on the fun side of office and team life, the off-the-cuff conversations that lead to interesting places, the work you do together that shapes the organisation and its priorities, the friends you make and, frankly, the status you have simply because you’re part of an organisation. I’ve come to think of this as being ‘in the room’. If you’re in the room you’re included in discussions, decision making and creativity within your organisation, and you contribute to something bigger than yourself and the immediate project you’re working on. You also have a professional profile, and as a result you get invited to participate and contribute to things, to sit on expert panels, speak at events, and to shape and build the wider sector you’re working in. Your voice is heard, and you can make a positive impact on the world.

While this is always an issue as a freelancer, this year it’s come into focus really strongly for me. Now that working from home is commonplace, you might think this puts us all on a level playing field. But I’ve seen colleagues and clients battening down the hatches, taking shelter from the Covid storm and looking after their teams, working really hard and creating some fantastic work. I’ve been on the outside of this, and it’s been really difficult. I’ve had a contribution to make, and nowhere to make it, things to say and no audience, and things I want to do that might make some improvement in the world, but no outlet for them.

Setting aside my own struggles with this for a moment, this feels like a wasted opportunity. Us freelancers have huge amounts to offer, and organisations have huge pressures and never-before-seen challenges this year. We have brilliant ideas and opinions, and many of us have had more time on our hands recently than we would care to admit. There’s got to be a way to create more spaces for us to work together. It would require organisations to think much more flexibly about how they bring people on board to work with them, and perhaps need us free spirits to commit to longer term relationships than we’re used to. But the rewards for all of us are potentially great.

(c) Anna Dent 2020. I provide social research, policy analysis and development, writing and expert opinion, and project development in Good Work and the Future of Work / In-Work Poverty and Progression / Welfare benefits / Ethical technology / Skills / Inclusive growth