WORK / LIFE : HOME OFFICE |
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY CAYCE CLIFFORD |
As HP prepares to enter a hybrid work situation , what did you find to be the biggest surprise of remote life ? My day has gotten longer . I hear this from all my friends , not just at HP . We are on Zoom calls from early in the morning to late in the evening . It ’ s harder to draw the boundary between personal and work life without a commute .
What have you found to be a plus of virtual meetings ? Before , you would have a bunch of people in a room and a few people on Zoom — we were working to integrate firmware , software , and cloud computing platforms and systems across HP , so our meetings already included people in locations around the world . It could be hard for the people on Zoom to get a word in . Now it ’ s more democratic and everyone can participate and talk .
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What else do you like about remote working ? I like wearing my sweatshirts or pajamas all day long . The only shoes I have worn have been tennis shoes , running shoes , flip-flops — and ski boots .
Ski boots ? Yes , I have a place in Tahoe . When I am there , I take meetings with my ski gear on , and as soon as the call is over I get in a couple of runs on my lunch hour .
Do you have any daily rituals when you are not in Tahoe ? I live next to an open-space preserve near a canyon , so there are plenty of places to hike and run . I try to get out every single day .
Your office is filled with interesting objects and art . Where are they from ? I travel a lot for fun with my significant other , Jack , and we collect stuff . Masks from Burkina Faso and Sri Lanka , statues from Asia and
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Africa , a basket from Rwanda . Also a printer and a laptop — I am trying to return them to IT .
Are there any devices you have found invaluable ? I have two big monitors , my laptop , the HP Thunderbolt Dock , a microphone , and a camera . I have two printers , an OfficeJet Pro 8710 and an OfficeJet Pro 9025e . Soon I ’ ll also get an Enterprise printer — a laser one with more functionality .
What advice would you give to young professionals entering a hybrid / remote work world ? Use the extra time you have to learn new skills . Also , it ’ s actually
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FOREIGN ACCENTS Ho ’ s 1920s Art Deco chairs are from Shanghai ; the statues , from Ethiopia , opposite . Her office is also filled with objects from her travels — a Sri Lankan mask , a dagger from Oman , and a Burmese painting , above left . A mask from Burkina Faso , top right , was made by a member of the Bobo tribe .
easier now to connect with coworkers . Pre-pandemic , if you tried to set up a coffee , you ’ d have to find a place and time that worked for both people . Now everyone can simply log on from home .
And what would you say to managers ? I tell them that they should have a regular stand-up or check in because you can ’ t just walk over and see your team . People need to feel like they can ask questions and connect . — Interviewed by John Newton
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