Shift

Working remote takes some getting used to. Managing your own time is not a skill that is fostered in traditional work environments where employees are expected to fulfill certain hours of the day instead of producing a defined amount of measurable work (more in this post ). When switching to a remote environment, people need to learn how to manage their time and any conflicting diversions. Learning to prioritize is the first step. Knowing your goals, and tracking your own ability to produce will help to hone in on how and when to work.  It is actually more common for employees new to a remote environment to overwork. It is difficult to set clear boundaries. There is often a general assumption that if work is not seen it is not done. However, there is actually nothing more effective than personal accountability.  No manager will ever be able to manage an employees time or hold them accountable as well as any one person may do for themselves. From the book "The intellig...

There are many things that should go into the decision of working remote. Largely it is dependent on personality, as I mentioned in this post , but many other factors play a part. Another primary factor is space. After the question of who, it is where and when people work.  It is important to find an appropriate space for each type of worker. Remember too, working remote does NOT mean work from home. Remote also means virtual and can be applied to team members working in other locations, countries or time zones. Each situation denotes remote engagement, and needs to be managed accordingly. Space matters when considering an employee or a team to be remote. This situation may refer to outsourcing a department or team to another country. Think about the infrastructure involved in running a business abroad, and so from a remote location. Think about the time zone differences, and cultural barriers that may come up while doing business together. Either in sending employees to anot...

A large portion of being able to shift to a successful remote environment is centered around how work is defined within the organization. Many companies still operate in an outdated fashion- employees that are present in the office from 9-5 are productive. If managers are able to see employees, they assume that is enough. It’s not. Work should be focused on product, not presence. Every individual has an optimal time and preference of production. If all employees are asked to occupy the same time and space in order to produce, then the majority of productivity is lost. Productivity is no longer based on a Fordist concept of parts per hour, so there is a need to redefine what product looks like. Product should be defined per industry, organization and individual, not to be confused with physical presence. Collaboration is an important factor in any organization. With the virtual collaboration tools that are available however, physical presence is not as important as shifting an o...

It’s always been a big question- how to maintain social connections in a remote environment? Not only social, but how does a team stay involved in a way that will continue to foster creativity, collaboration, and work to further solidify the team? All is not lost. Much of this relies on the tools and technologies used to foster engagement, but even more so on shifting the groups mentality to understand how to engage in a virtual environment.   Remote does not mean detached.  There are a lot of time-tracking tools out there with the intent of tracking just how employees spend their time during the day. How do you track those connections that happen in passing though, those conversations that start in the hall on a whim and lead to the next big breakthrough in a project? Not every hallway conversation is the next big breakthrough, but they still serve to build a stronger team-bond. The social side of anything has always been more difficult to track, such as- how to track...

Working remote is not for everyone.   Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicators , Gallup strength finders , Enneagram , even your horoscope will all tell you a bit about yourself, but no single one will fully describe you.   All self-assessments hold some value, but ultimately it is best to constantly reassess your situation to find your ideal working conditions. Your ability to work remote will also most likely change over time.   The option to work anywhere will seem attractive (or not) to different people for different reasons. Sorry, as in most things, there is no one size that fits all AND fits well. That just doesn’t happen. Some people are pre-disposed to a remote working situation, but that does not mean it is the best for them.   It is more likely that certain positions are better able to be performed in a remote setting, but that does not mean the same for those individuals performing them. Many things should go into making the decision of where and ho...