Now Playing at Your Office:
Status, Power, Fear and Ritual

Telecommuting vs. Tribalism... "Why has telecommuting never really been embraced in the way futurists once said it would? The answer has little to do with logistics and more to do with tribal phenomena like status, power, fear and ritual." That's Tom Zeller writing about the impact of New York City's recent transit strike. (New York Times, Dec 25, 2005)

Yes, 26.1 million of us work one day a month at home nationally, a huge change from 25 years ago (the date of the last NYC transit strike). Indeed, it was practically impossible to work outside the office then.

But changing work habits has not reduced traffic congestion nationally, according to the annual Urban Mobility Study from Texas A&M University. Actually, we're actually going backwards.

'''Traffic congestion levels have increased in every area since 1982,'' this year's report states. And near the top of miserably congested cities are those hotbeds of high tech: San Francisco, Dallas, San Diego, Seattle, Denver, Austin." Oops.

''In an era when so much of our communication is electronic, the value of a face-to-face meeting has actually intensified, since the phone and e-mail have become routine while a meeting reflects the importance of the person or topic.'' That's Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy at New York University, speaking.

Here's the contradiction. As we become more technologically connected, culture becomes even more important. It shapes the world. And "status, power, fear and ritual" shape culture -- in the office. It's all about real estate!

-- Peter Pike