[vbtemp]

Quite simply, the best way to strangle your productivity and toss it in the bay is to work at an office with a regular 9-5 weekly schedule. For innovative types (e.g., software engineers) and people with my temperament, what ends up happening is that you build a lifestyle based around the daily schlep to work, and you end up doing just enough to get by.

[jpdoctor]

> and you end up doing just enough to get by.

The old saw (from the days when you worked for the same company for decades and retired with a pension):

Companies pay employees just enough not to quit; Employees work just hard enough not to get fired.

[RollAHardSix]

I guess I'm just an outlier. My work is just one part of my life. I work anywhere from 7 - 3, 8 - 4, 9 - 5; 10 4's if I want, or some crazy mix. When I'm not at work I take BJJ lessons, work on my freelance consulting and graphic design, read / write / spend time with my daughter. Catch movies; go out with friends occasionally on the weekends to see a UFC fight, that type of 'stuff'.

And I am still talking about productivity here in the way that because my life is organized into such organized blocks of time it's easy for me to go 120% during each time. I know I can't pay my mortgage, take Jiu Jitsu, have the quality of life I do if I don't work hard. So my job gets me 100% 8 hours a day, for 5 days a week. It's a compromise and one I'm willing to make.

Working at home or on flexible schedules (and again I have a pretty flexible schedule) sounds great until you realize that teams can't collaborate together as effectively; deadlines still need to be achieved, and so on. Really if you're having problems with productivity or with work not being finished in-time; then check what you're expecting of your team.

My .02.

[dansingerman]

Absolutely true. I have recently changed my career from mostly office-based to mostly working at home. I think the days I now spend at home are about 200% more productive.

The typical office environment is the antithesis of what you need to achieve 'flow'.

[vbtemp]

I'm not sure if it's the "office environment" per se. It's the lifestyle built around the daily routine. The problem is, in big organizations, it isn't really fair to everyone. A receptionist, for example, has to be there during work hours, or many managers, and many other types of engineers such as RF guys or mechanical guys. It wouldn't be fair to yield tremendous flexibility to the software engineers, despite higher productivity.

[RollAHardSix]

Sure it would. If they want to become an Engineer help them. Obviously most of them won't. When you take a job, you're taking that lifestyle to boot. I remember the exact MOMENT I didn't want to do sales for the rest of my life. I was at an award conference for being in the top 5% of performers (yay me) and the discussion was on reality tv shows (oh so boring). One of the managers sitting across from me remarks how he's never seen most tv shows because he's worked 2nd shift for 15 years straight. It wasn't anger in his voice, or jealousy, it was simply a statement of fact.

Fact is, I did not want to be him working 4 - 1 for the rest of my life. Most sales jobs require odd hours, pushes on weekends, and a different skill-set than other types of jobs. No thanks, I'll take my 9-5 in exchange of other crappier hours, working on weekends, etc. You take a job, you know what effect it will have your lifestyle, that's really all I'm saying.

[vbtemp]

> If they want to become an Engineer help them.

I'm trying to understand what you mean...

Yes, you're right. when you sign up for a job you acknowledge the change in lifestyle it may cause. My point is that from the perspective of the organiztion, it can a highly inefficient use of money, and aggravate some otherwise competent and capable engineers.

[RollAHardSix]

Education Benefits of course. Tax deductible for businesses, and great compensation for employee's. I've almost obtained a second degree in Communication Design due to my job needing advanced graphics and printing industry knowledge. It was a benefit I suggested and my employers were more than happy to work with me.

That's true, some would enjoy the freedom of more flexible scheduling. I consider myself very lucky to be able to change my schedule around to make my daughters doctor appointments, tour several private schools in the area, and sometimes stack my hours at the beginning of the week, so it's 2'o clock on a Friday and I'm out the door. Not all the time of course, but every once-in-awhile it IS fantastic.

[jiggy2011]

Simple, just give them more holidays or better pay or something.