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But what about working remotely still sucks? Be it from home, from a beach on Bali, or from a WeWork in Amsterdam.
(Im trying to get my company to be more remote-friendly and would like a nuanced view before I make my case.)
1) Stable, fast internet for endless video-chats
2) Visa/bank account issues.
3) Company politics.
These 3 things can make working remote a challenge. Video chats are needed to simulate "in person conversations" which company executives believe improves efficiency and morale. Companies are also worried about "how do we legally pay our employees if they claim to be in the USA but are really on a tourist visa somewhere". And third, companies will often has gossip and politics and power struggles where those who are in office have more face time and promotion potential than those who are remote.
All of these things can be easily fixed but it requires the employee and the employer to not be incompetent.
The problem is many non-engineering related roles follow similar organization around sprints and backlogs/task lists. Because of that I think there's a natural suspicion around productivity for people you don't get a chance to see everyday.
In other words work organization still sucks for non-engineering related remote work (sales excluded actually).
And then internal relationship building i think is also a challenge which impacts collaboration 100% - that still sucks.
My advice for people new to remote work: reserve an hour each morning for exercise, start reading fiction, try out the keto diet, avoid alcohol as much as possible, try to limit your caffeine intake, open your windows to prevent co2 buildup, keep eye drops within reach for long hauls, try to get all of your chores done in the morning.
I've been working from home for about 10 years. The only thing that's ever been a problem is maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It took years to realize and resolve all of the various underlying issues before I started feeling comfortable without being complacent with things. My advice for people new to remote work: reserve an hour each morning for exercise, start reading fiction, try out the keto diet, avoid a…
I've been working from home for about 10 years. The only thing that's ever been a problem is maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It took years to realize and resolve all of the various underlying issues before I started feeling comfortable without being complacent with things. My advice for people new to remote work: reserve an hour each morning for exercise, start reading fiction, try out the keto diet, avoid a…
I've been working from home for about 10 years. The only thing that's ever been a problem is maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It took years to realize and resolve all of the various underlying issues before I started feeling comfortable without being complacent with things. My advice for people new to remote work: reserve an hour each morning for exercise, start reading fiction, try out the keto diet, avoid a…
Do you mind elaborating on why you mention keto? I’m 4 months into keto and down 18lbs and I love it, but just wondering why you mentioned it with remote work.
Plus it compliments nicely with your morning cardio and provides a decent energy boost throughout the day without the need of caffeine.
I'm not saying I need my coworkers to be my best friends or anything, but I think that you are more likely to have a well functioning work relationship with people that you're comfortable around. In my experience, those relationships are usually built through informal conversations.
If any of you have this figured out, I'd love to hear tips. Most of the other aspects of remote work are fantastic.