Tom Stieghorst
I had the opportunity to go on two cruises in Europe with a number of agents over the past week. So many of the conversations I had, or overheard, were about the 24/7 nature of work today.
Whenever two agents compare notes, one of the subjects that always seems to come up is when do you work from home, when from the office, how often do you look at email, do you ever turn off your phone?
For many agents, I gather the answer to that last question is a resigned no. The two cruises I was on were operated by Crystal Cruises and Silversea Cruises, luxury lines that work with elite agents.
One agent said to me that she simply can't afford to be unavailable to clients when they're spending the kind of money they spend with her.
Many agents, I gather, still go to a physical office, but also have a dedicated space at home for after-hours work. Some take a break for dinner and are back at it answering emails and doing other tasks into the late night.
None of this was very practical twenty years ago before the advent of cheap and fast Internet services, web browsers, smartphones and laptops. Those technologies have made a big change in the way we work, perhaps permanently.
I confess I look forward to my mornings in Europe because it is still 2 am in the United States and the stream of email coming into my in-box slows to a trickle. It is a time I can write without interruption or simply feel disconnected.
It's not a feeling many agents get to enjoy. I spoke with one California agent with a significant clientele in Australia who makes herself available between early afternoon and late evening for communicating with Australia. The hours may be different in Europe, but with a global business there's no chance to disconnect.
Of course, mobile connectivity gives us more flexibility in arranging our lives. And because these tools increase productivity, they should be increasing agent incomes. That's the upside. The downside is less time for loved ones, for relaxation and for restoring equilibrium.
I don't know of a solution. Certainly the government can't regulate time off from the Internet. Nor can it be addressed very practically as a matter of company policy. Somehow, though, we've got to find a way to put a pause button on the Internet so we can regain some time that's truly our own.