Part of the workshifting arrangement at MindFire is that we all meet in person once a month for a client brainstorming session and to catch up on other details. I always look forward to these meetings because it gives me a chance to connect with everyone in person and catch up.

As a result of a pretty crazy August, I've spent a good chunk of my days working out of the office to meet with clients and connect with coworkers on specific projects. While it's great to be part of the office hustle and bustle, I noticed that I was a lot more sensitive to distractions that I knew wouldn't have bothered me as much during my office days. That got me wondering: Does workshifting ruin our ability to ever work in an office environment again?

Although I've only been working remotely for a little more than two years, I've definitely noticed that I'm becoming hyper-sensitive when I work in the office. As part of my job I spend a lot of time writing, and I tend to usually do that in total silence when I'm working from home. The chit-chatting, phone conversations, music and other noises that occur on an ongoing basis in the office totally throw me through a loop and make it very challenging for me to focus on getting work done.

In addition to that you've got the disruptions to your work "flow" that occur when co-workers drop by to chat or ask questions. (I'm just as guilty of doing this to others, too). While office visits are a great way to catch up and get a read of where everyone's head is at, I find it nearly impossible to really dig in to a lengthy project and get it done.

Ultimately, I think this is a testament to one of the major benefits of workshifting, which is the ability to be a lot more productive than in an office environment. What do you guys think? Are there others out there who have had similar issues?

Photo Credit: AJ Leon