Why Pen to Paper Still Has a Place in your Office in 2020 and Beyond.

Posted by Adam Jelic on October 07, 2020

With everyone working from home nowadays, technology has been a godsend in keeping us connected to our teams and colleagues. Sometimes, it begs the question: has pen to paper become redundant in 2020?

The answer is: No. Despite the perks technology affords us, writing down your thoughts and ideas on a piece of paper is still one of the best ways to increase productivity, motivation and teamwork. In this article, we’re going to tackle why pen to paper should never be forgotten in a workplace - home office or otherwise.

Pen to Paper can’t be tracked and monitored

If you haven’t seen The Social Dilemma on Netflix, you should. While the documentary focuses on social media, the same idea - that is, everything online is tracked, watched and manipulated - can be applied to all of our digital workflows. It doesn’t matter how much a company says it values your privacy. Your digital footprint is always being tracked, documented and archived into their digital ecosystems. 

With pen to paper, the only person that can see it is you. There’s no fear of your data being mishandled, or a sneaky bot in the backend creating a history of every little thing you do. In an era where digital technology encompasses most of our daily lives, there’s something special about having a diary or notebook that you can keep to yourself, away from prying eyes. You can’t get that same satisfaction with technology.

It inspires creativity in the workplace, even when you’re not together

When you’re working from home, you’re encouraged to share all of your files so everyone in your team stays on the same page. But if you’re sharing a document with five other people, who are all viewing it in real-time as you make changes, the need to make everything look perfect can become overwhelming. In other words, there isn’t room for mistakes. 

If you’re a creative person, this is problematic because most solid ideas come to fruition only after creating a myriad of notes, mind maps and extensive research.

However, with pen to paper, you’re allowed to make as many mistakes as you want! Whether it be scribbles, annotations, weird drawings that only you would understand and so on. You’re more comfortable letting ideas fly without limitations. You’re also not limited to the functionality of the software or program your workplace uses - with pen to paper, you can literally do whatever you want.

Once you’ve connected all of the dots and arrived at a cohesive idea, then you can confidently and clearly present it to your team, minus any confusion which would have happened had they seen every little thing you created in the lead up to your main idea. 

Disconnect from technology

Let’s face it, we spend so much time glued to screens. That can’t be good for our physical, mental and emotional health. Now with COVID-19 and working from home, it’s becoming even more difficult to separate our professional life from our personal life. Our homes are now our offices and vice versa. 

Pen to paper not only lets us disconnect from the digital world, but it establishes that distinction between the digital world and the real world. It allows us to step away and get back to basics with our thoughts, plans and ideas. Less is more, and in order for a great idea to develop, all the outside noise - social media, Slack messages, push notifications and more - needs to be silenced. 

Don’t get us wrong, technology has its benefits. But with technology becoming all encompassing in our lives, the best way to maximise productivity, motivation and team morale in your office (even at home) is to strike a nice balance between using digital tools and using pen to paper.

Process information easier

Zoom meetings and video conferences have become a new normal for us in 2020. But just because team meetings are now online, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring a notebook into the meeting and take notes. 

According to a study published in Psychological Science by NPR, research found that writing forces you to be more selective, which adds a layer of processing. When you write down certain takeaways during the meeting, you automatically reframe that information into your own words and add context. 

Plus, when you have a pen to paper, you naturally listen more intently to ensure important information isn’t missed or lost in communication. On the other hand, typing notes on a keyboard can easily become mindless note-taking because of how easily you can change, edit and delete anything. 

Get personal with your own corporate stationery

During this unpredictable time, keeping team morale high can be hard. Help maximise productivity in home offices and stay connected as a team with your own empowering branded MiGoals corporate range of stationery. 

From journals to planners, give your team the ultimate set of productivity tools and help create a work culture that inspires them to make 2020, and beyond, an awesome experience. Find out more here