key strategic tips for starting to work remotely successfully!

README.md

Key strategic tips for starting to work remotely... successfully!

One of the greatest challenges in creating a successful remote working culture is simply getting a critical mass of people on board! So, congrats: you've short-circuited your way there. Every cloud has a silver lining.

invest in your workspace

• spend an hour setting up your desk at home.

  • yes, this is working time.
  • really: do it.
  • make sure you're comfortable, screen is right, etc.
  • you're going to be here for a while.

• it's strongly recommended to make a separate "work" space from the rest of your day if possible.

  • if you're a gamer (hi!), it may be advisable to have a separate computer for that.
    • make sure your work monitor is physically more prominent that your play monitor!

• some people suggest really strongly separating your work and play mental states with cues.

  • example: "walking to work" (around the block... coming back to the same place).
  • possibly: setting strict hours for yourself, maybe even with alarms
  • personally, i don't do these. but consider if it might work for you!

• if you have family or roommates: set boundaries and communicate them clearly from the start.

  • cannot overstate the importance of this.
  • you will feel better, it will be friendlier, etc, to do this UP FRONT. don't let it linger.
  • "can you wash the dishes" NO, you CANNOT, actually.
    • imagine you had to answer call, drive home from work, take your shoes off, come in, and then wash the dishes. would that be reasonable? no.
    • pretend it's exactly the same. in transit time, no, it's not. but in disruption? Yes, it is.

invest in your skills

• "timeboxing" is your new favorite meta-skill

  • there will be no one around to ask you what you're hung up on, or break you out of it at the water cooler
  • solution: set up "time boxes" for yourself in advance.
    • key: a predetermined end time for a task.
    • you try to accomplish as much as possible before the end time.
    • it's okay not to finish: setting the end date is just to make you "pull your head out of the sand".
    • you can decide to continue the task! the end date is just a check in.
    • surprisingly, the start date doesn't really matter.
  • think of a metronome when you're learning music.
    • it's the same thing. it's important to not lose track of time entirely.
    • exactly which beat you're on since the beginning of the song doesn't matter; keeping a cadence does.

• invest in your communication skills.

  • this is a whole topic itself!

invest in your communications

• communication won't happen naturally anymore.

  • leaders: you cannot assume things will passively propagate at the same rate.
  • everyone: you cannot assume things will passively propagate at the same rate.
  • make space for communication.

• make space for both regimented and for spontaneous communications.

  • (in fact, don't make space for regimented communication -- you're already used to doing that. it's the spontaneous stuff that's suddenly missing, and needs active compensation.)

meeting etiquette

• everything that's polite in normal meetings is now doubly important.

  • if you're speaking: be attentive to others who may be waiting their turn. do not monologue.
    • you may need to inject pauses intentionally so they have a chance to make themselves known.
    • some voip systems have "raise hands" functions, but don't count on them working, don't count on your ability to see them, and don't count on all participants using them.

• you should mute yourself by default.

  • yes, your keyboard spills over.

• check your camera.

  • it's not vain. it's polite.
  • if the only thing everybody can see when you're speaking is your torso, or your chin, it's not good communication.
  • most good video conferencing systems will have a small window that shows your own camera back to you. look at it periodically and check that you're framed well.
  • yep. simple things matter.

• keeping notes is important.

  • sure, always true. with video chats and drifting attention: doubly true.
    • techies: try https://hackmd.io/ .