Leadership Reflection #11: The Most Demanding Coworker
Working from home has its advantages. No commute. More flexibility. Fewer interruptions. At least, that's what I thought.
What I failed to consider was that I would be sharing my office with Nandu (@nandugotourtu), a coworker with absolutely no respect for my calendar. When remote work first became part of my routine, I imagined leisurely mornings and a little extra sleep. Nandu had other ideas.
Every morning at precisely 7:45 a.m., he appears beside my bed to remind me that his walking schedule remains unchanged. It doesn't matter if it's Monday, Saturday, a holiday, or the end of a long week. His expectations are remarkably consistent. In fairness, that's probably one of the reasons he's become such a good coworker. He's helped create structure in my day.
Over time, we've gone from spending most of our days apart to spending nearly every working hour together. He's attended countless Zoom meetings, supervised strategic planning sessions, and carefully monitored every lunch break. His contribution to these meetings has generally consisted of sleeping. Occasionally snoring. And sometimes demanding attention immediately after a call ends. There have been a few downsides to remote work.
For example, it turns out it's surprisingly easy to postpone getting fully ready for the day when your only coworker is a dog who couldn't care less what you're wearing. I've also come to appreciate aspects of office life that I once took for granted—the routine, the energy, and the spontaneous conversations with colleagues.
But if I'm being honest, I wouldn't trade my current arrangement. Even with the occasional interruption, unexpected bark, or questionable odor drifting through the office, Nandu has become one of the best parts of working from home.
He's loyal, dependable, and never complains about management. Although he does insist on a very generous benefits package. Mostly paid in treats.