Paul Frields joins the podcast to talk about working remotely and what it takes to succeed. John and Paul also discuss some of the misconceptions about remote work and how to overcome them.
Podcast: Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android
Articles and other episodes mentioned:
- The 10 Biggest Misconceptions About Remote Work
- Remote is Dead. Long Live Distributed
- How to get unstuck via What Could Be Fun
Music
- Pulse Rock by Kevin MacLeod
- Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod
All songs licensed under Creative Commons
January 14, 2017 at 10:57 am
Chadd approved! #thumbsup 🙂
I took notes and scattered thoughts:
Remote is definitely more productive. When remote, I tend to focus more on producing. Maybe even to the point of overcompensating(?). I believe it comes down to where do you feel inspired? When remote I can be inspired on my home patio, at the coffeeshop, the University library, kitchen table, even at the neighborhood park! The ability to change it up is inspiring in itself. How many people say “I feel inspired in a 5×5 grey cubicle!”? Not many would be my guess. I totally agree about having a dedicated home office space though. I may not work there ALL the time but I will work there a majority of the time. It is a comfortable space that “fits me” and inspires me.
When in an office I too find myself hiding from coworkers to find a quiet, uninterrupted place to concentrate. I’m definitely more social when “alone”. While it is good to meet face to face, I don’t believe it is constantly needed.
To succeed remotely you have to be outgoing. When in an office it is easy to hide in your cube. Simply passing people in the hallway is NOT interacting. When I work remote, I’m on jabber/lync/chat constantly. Webcam calls are great. I make it a point to reach out and stay in touch with coworkers. Honestly I’ve never felt disconnected while working remotely. The only exception I can think of is if you are the ONLY one remote and everyone else is together in one location. Then yes you can miss out on hallway decisions and informal meetings. If everyone is remote, or even most distributed, then it levels the information flow.
Ambient noise – There’s lots of coding music on youtube as well as background chill/lounge music. I prefer background music over the chatter of coworkers.
Simply being present at an office is not “working”. This is an idea that my elderly mother has a really hard time understanding. When I work remotely, work doesn’t really end at 4:30 but is dispersed across the day/evening. Also if someone is going to be lackadaisical while working remotely, they will also be that way in an office too. Remote isn’t the issue, it’s dedication of the worker.
Commute time – An hour each way, 5 days a week is 10 hours wasted! It just seems crazy to throw that time away. Not to mention dodging traffic and the cost.
Meetings with remote workers – I find that attending meetings while remote are actually more efficient. When in an office I often see people showing up 10mins early to socialize and then lingering after the meeting for more socialization.
Great ‘cast guys. Keep it up!