Does Remote Work...Work?
With many companies asking employees to return to the office, it begs the question, “What happened?” Let’s start with some good reasons for returning to the office:
Remote work is by no means a one-size-fits-all solution; many of us thrive on in-person interaction! But when approached as an opportunity to rethink and improve how we work, remote setups can empower teams and unlock exciting possibilities while meeting the needs of all individuals. Having led and guided others in the development digital workspaces, here’s what I’ve learned:
Teams that transitioned seamlessly to remote work without compromising communication, culture, or productivity, did so by adjusting their operations to meet the moment.
Here’s how they made it “work”:
1. Streamlining Operations on Digital Platforms; Welcome to the Digital Workspace! It’s not about the infrastructure, but the daily operations—the things people do every day. By transitioning to cloud-based platforms (think Microsoft Teams, Cisco WebEx, Slack, or some other product), teams enabled work from any device, anywhere, and adjusted physical processes (when possible) for a digital environment. Consolidating essential daily touchpoints like files, task and project tracking, and communication into a single platform minimized friction and smoothed the remote work transition.
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2. Reinventing Communication for Digital Spaces Effective communication doesn’t have to mean forced habits. Teams created spaces for casual, ongoing conversations that fit seamlessly with new workflows. Consolidating methods of communication—while not a novel idea—gained new importance as it reduced the noise and amplified productivity.
3. Striking a Balance Remote and hybrid work come with challenges like increased calls, IMs, and meetings. Sitting in front of a screen all day isn’t the same as walking the office floor, yet it often means being more accessible. Teams found balance by blocking time for focused work, allocating free slots for meetings, and adjusting availability to fit their tasks—a strategy that promotes both productivity and well-being.
4. Collaborating Through Change Transformations that last are built collaboratively. By inviting feedback from team members and introducing changes gradually, organizations ensured solutions were both effective and sustainable. Iteration was key.
5. Staying Responsive and Accessible Remember the ease of walking over to a colleague’s desk for a quick question? Remote work required a shift: team members—especially leaders—made responsiveness a priority to maintain that same sense of immediacy and connection.
What are your experiences with Remote Work? 🤔 Did you have to return to the office?
-Sergio
I flourished once I began working remote full time. While I do miss the connections with my team you really only do get from swinging by someone else's desk with a thought or question, I find that I'm able to focus more on my work, and the ability to step away from the job and back into my "real life" for 15 minutes at a time has proven to be an invaluable element of making me a better tech. Working remote also builds trust between an employee and their work - the org has faith that I'll get my job done just as well without having to be physically present in the building, and I'm more driven because of that trust in me.