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Making Remote Work Work

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Re: Making Remote Work Work

#51

Post by JTon »

d0 wrote: post #48
sneak wrote: post #37

Create another local user account on your computer for being at work. Change the desktop background to big work logos. Don't configure your personal instant messenger accounts and whatnot. Set up the email client to only check the "work" account so you don't fall down personal email item rabbit holes. Configure the WasteNoTime Safari extension appropriately (more strictly than your personal account's config, with sit…

You dont need to do any of this. Walking away from a problem and doing something else ends up in faster more elegant solutions every time than avoiding distractions on the machine. I'll tap out a tune on my piano, play with the kids or sit in the garden for a bit whilst working from home. Then I'll do an hour or two of work and repeat. I deliver more finished higher quality code and solutions than anyone else chained…

I'm glad you found a routine that works for you. If doing particularly grueling work (hey, who doesn't here and there?) or I'm in a mental slump, your methods don't work for me. I don't think productivity has a turn-key solution

Re: Making Remote Work Work

#52

Post by d0 »

mscman wrote: post #50
d0 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You dont need to do any of this. Walking away from a problem and doing something else ends up in faster more elegant solutions every time than avoiding distractions on the machine. I'll tap out a tune on my piano, play with the kids or sit in the garden for a bit whilst working from home. Then I'll do an hour or two of work and repeat. I deliver more finished higher quality code and solutions than anyone else chained…

I feel some of this is based on personality. It's great that you're able to step away from work periodically and then focus again (I do the same thing working from home). A lot of people have trouble getting back into the work mode again after taking that break. That's what the "work account" idea is designed to help.

To be fair, I've had that trouble but I found out that I just wasn't happy doing what I was doing so changed it. You have to want to do it before focus comes naturally.

Re: Making Remote Work Work

#53

Post by Swizec »

johnvschmitt wrote: post #34

ENVIRONMENT He touched on this, but I want to let you know, after 4 years working from home, how important this is. The environment gives you unconscious cues on how to behave. If you goof off (surf the web, stream, eat, play, etc) where you work, you are "poisoning" that environment, & make it very hard to focus on work next time there. After "poisoning" several places in my house, I've setup a workbench in the gara…

I do something similar, but with time. Some blocks of time/days are ALWAYS work. Others are ALWAYS goofing around.

It's often a simpler and more viable solution when you don't have a huge house.

Re: Making Remote Work Work

#54

Post by d0 »

JTon wrote: post #51
d0 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You dont need to do any of this. Walking away from a problem and doing something else ends up in faster more elegant solutions every time than avoiding distractions on the machine. I'll tap out a tune on my piano, play with the kids or sit in the garden for a bit whilst working from home. Then I'll do an hour or two of work and repeat. I deliver more finished higher quality code and solutions than anyone else chained…

I'm glad you found a routine that works for you. If doing particularly grueling work (hey, who doesn't here and there?) or I'm in a mental slump, your methods don't work for me. I don't think productivity has a turn-key solution

Holidays are a turn key solution from experience. Even if its a weekend sleeping in a tent somewhere. I go like a machine after them for days.

Re: Making Remote Work Work

#55

Post by wdaher »

For pair programming or other remote collaboration stuff, I've been really happy with Screenhero (screenhero.com).

[Disclaimer: I've invested in them -- but I legitimately do also use it regularly for this sort of thing.]

Re: Making Remote Work Work

#56

Post by mojuba »

ehPReth wrote: post #47
mojuba wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, but: http://www.thetimezoneconverter.com/ - allows only two locations. What about scheduling a conf call across NY, Dublin, Berlin and Moscow? What is the best time for all 4 locations? http://everytimezone.com/ - awesome interface, but doesn't allow any customizations, e.g. pick just the locations I need. This was on HN, I remember I made some suggestions which the guy never implemented. http://time.is/ - sh…

Try this one by Armin Ronacher: http://timesched.pocoo.org/ - it's open source as well

Nice one, thanks!

Re: Making Remote Work Work

#57

Post by mojuba »

shrikant wrote: post #46
mojuba wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Excellent idea. This, and I wonder when will I finally see a simple, practical web site that does just that: helps to schedule inter-timezone conf calls with minimal clicks. One such web site was once posted here on HN but it was unfinished at the time (didn't allow to add custom locations) and probably doesn't exist anymore.

I've used http://www.worldtimebuddy.com/ for this in the past and it's worked really well.

Kind of like http://timesched.pocoo.org suggested in another comment here, but this one is more cluttered. Anyway, nice tool, thanks!

Re: Making Remote Work Work

#58

Post by gleiva »

Would be great to include the opinion and feedback from your coworkers who actually go to the office. This seems like good feedback for people who maybe does not feel comfortable with their home setup and a few practices. But I still feel the team's productivity is certainly increased if the team is working together.

Re: Making Remote Work Work

#59

Post by jcater »

sneak wrote: post #37

Create another local user account on your computer for being at work. Change the desktop background to big work logos. Don't configure your personal instant messenger accounts and whatnot. Set up the email client to only check the "work" account so you don't fall down personal email item rabbit holes. Configure the WasteNoTime Safari extension appropriately (more strictly than your personal account's config, with sit…

It's funny, I've been a full-time remote worker for over a year, and it never dawned on me until last week to do exactly what you described. I'm on week two of having separate user accounts, and it really does make a huge difference in defining your current "role".
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