# Something for Everybody By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-01-24 People are different. This is obvious to the point of cliché. Whereas this is clear and accepted, it holds important implications for the workplace of tomorrow. A comparison of two types of workers illustrates the point. Let’s say Worker-1 likes to execute one’s work, be left alone, and is required to be at work only long enough to complete the work. Worker-2 enjoys the social aspects of work. Worker-2 spends a significant part of the workweek going from desk to desk and talking with people. Worker-1 and Worker-2 want significantly different things from work. For purposes of easy comparison, let’s assume that each accomplishes the same amount of work in a week. One approach is not inherently more productive than the other. Before the increase in teleworking, the office dynamics favored the preferences of Worker-2. Teleworking favors that of Worker-1. Finding the ideal situation isn’t necessarily as simple as having people select their work preferences. As an example, the degree to which workers select the low-attendance option, the social worker has a limited pool of people to visit. For those that like all the “hustle and bustle” of work, teleworking is an impoverished substitute. What is desired from work is incompatible between the two. Plus, it isn’t clear that what one likes is what also makes one more productive. It could be that Worker-2 should socialize less, and Worker-1 should socialize more, even though it isn’t what either of them wants. Examining the 3Ps of people, preferences, and performance is a place to start for those concerned with making sure the workplace of tomorrow has something for everybody. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[Preferences]] [[Organizational Analytics]] [[Remote Work]] [[Performance]] [[People]]