FINDING SUCCESS AS A REMOTE WORKER

“Freedom without discipline is bondage in disguise.”

In the early 2000's, the thought was that in the next 20 years, everyone would be working remotely. With new technology and a generation that loved freedom by 2020, everyone will be rolling out of bed, walking to the couch, logging on, and they would be off to work.

However, the future didn't play out quite like we thought it would. Just a month away from 2020 and companies are decreasing remote and teleworkers. In 2017, the CEO of tech giant Yahoo famously declared the end of remote workers. It turns out that working in your PJs with Netflix on actually doesn't always increase productivity and often leads to employees feeling “shunned and left out and even ganged up on.” It doesn’t have to be this way. It’s possible to be very successful in working remotely. Last week I looked at some ways leaders can lead remote workers, and here are some ways workers can align themselves to be successful when they seldom see the office.

I think it comes down to three things- communication, culture, and mindset.

Communication

When you’re working remotely, you are going to have to be more proactive at seeking clarity and agreement with clients and those you work with. What projects are you going to be working on? How many hours? How do your goals contribute to the overall team goals? Working remotely requires more frequent and more transparent communication than traditional employees. It will also be essential to initiating conversation with co-workers where you can hear each other’s voices, not just email and text. It can be Marco Polo, phone calls, Zoom, etc. There is just a different level of connection when you can hear someone’s voice and see their face, rather than when you write it. This is an essential part of having more in-depth communication that is necessary for long term success.

Culture

The culture of the company and leadership has to be established in a way that sets remote workers up for success. It’s easy for remote workers (and their leaders) to solely focus on the task and ignore teams. While this might sound good at first, the reality is that people perform overwhelmingly better in teams. Healthy teams have to promote strong trust. Finding creative ways for connection to happen among remote workers is a key to building trust. Scheduling regular informal calls or online group activities is a way to allow for the type of “water cooler” talk that happens when workers are in the same building. What’s ironic is that when you create this for your remote workers, it's likely to be viewed as a nuisance or frustration. However, companies that have stuck to the importance of connecting remote workers have seen considerable rewards in terms of employee satisfaction and connection.

Mindset

This is true for pretty much everything, but you have to have the right mindset to be a great remote worker.

First, know yourself, not everyone is cut out for working remotely. That’s okay! Go back to the first point and communicate that to the people involved. Let them know that it’s not working for you and see what options are available. Second, recognize that remote working offers amazing freedom. It allows you to be at home, avoid the wasted driving time, etc. However, as we often say at the Tappe Group, “Freedom without discipline is bondage in disguise.”

The freedom that remote working provides can also be your greatest curse. You have to set up a clear schedule and invite accountability from others to help you stick to it. This goes in both directions. First, for the person who finds it hard to focus, they get distracted with chores that need to be done, shopping on Amazon, or playing with the kids. It also goes the other direction. Some people find it hard to stop working when your “office” and your “living” room is the same place. You need the structure to not only be “on” when you are working, but also to turn it “off” when you should not be working. 

Being a remote worker will often not be easy. However, if you have clear communication, a stable culture and a purposed mindset, you will set yourself up for success as a remote worker.

What are some daily practices you have to help you stay focused?

-Greg