I’ve been working remotely for almost nine months now, and that shift in environment has encouraged me to undertake a variety of adjustments on personal and professional approaches to life.
Technology makes it easy for me to connect from anywhere at anytime, to be present without physically being in an office.
I get to work from sunny local cafes, in the silence of libraries, or in the comfort of my own apartment. There are days when I see absolutely no one and isolate myself to be as productive as possible. My colleagues connect with me via Skype. I only attend meetings if they are absolutely necessary.
There are many trade-offs when you decide to break from traditional corporate structures. The freedom to work anywhere can be a lonely experience. Not being under the watchful eye of management means improving work discipline and initiative.
Before considering a remote working opportunity, or asking your employer to consider a transition to remote working, ask yourself these questions to understand if you are suited for this style of employment.
Are you organized?
It’s important to remember that organizational skills will be the cornerstone of any remote working endeavor. Habits of organized people can display themselves in a number of ways:
- This person is constantly on top of key milestones in a project.
- This person is resourceful with tools neatly tucked away digitally or offline for ease of access.
- This person is an effective and efficient communicator.
- This person can manage their time in productive bursts or long-haul assignments with little to no push from a higher up.
If the role you currently perform contains many moving parts—meetings, people, ideas, documents—there will be an intense need to ensure that everything is where it needs to be when it needs to be addressed. If somebody else is responsible for your organizational skills, then that’s a big problem for remote working.
How will you establish process?
As a remote worker, you will be responsible for creating and implementing a process that meets the needs of your colleagues and your individual responsibilities.
There are good things that a solid process can achieve: a clear understanding of deadlines, ample check-in sessions for a feedback loop, and breathing room so that every task completed doesn’t feel like a mad-dash to the finish line.
Organization should naturally lead to an effective process for accomplishing tasks. People are often scared of process because it can create a stagnant working environment marred by bureaucracy. Process isn’t a bad thing; it’s people’s experiences with terrible processes that leave a poor impression, so it’s important that you set a process that will help you work efficiently.
What sort of environment do you thrive in?
The idea of no longer having to commute to the office is enticing. Getting up and sauntering over to the kitchen, putting on a pot of coffee, and starting the day in the comfort of your home is a calming thought.
Remember that this experience can look like a dream, until you’re immersed in this new environment.
The thing is, remote working can be lonely. Sure, you’ve eliminated the unwanted physical interactions with co-workers, but there are probably social parts of your working day that you enjoyed—stopping by a friend’s desk for a quick break and chat, or taking part in team drinks and events. The problem for me in previous jobs was that all the annoying stuff about working in an office got in the way of that enjoyment.
Get use to spending more time alone. Get used to not being in the office when jokes happen, or the team goes out for a wind down drink on Thursdays. If you think the idea of being by yourself all day is daunting, then you might want to reconsider working remotely full time.
Determining whether to be a remote worker should not be a snap decision. Think carefully about your personality traits and what you enjoy about your current situation mirrored against these three working areas.
I’ve found that these three experiences have been the most important components of my ability as a remote worker.
