From: https://lobste.rs/s/by7kff/what_have_you_learned_by_working_remote
What are some tips/things that you have learned after working remote for the first time that you wish you knew before you began?
https://lobste.rs/s/by7kff/what_have_you_learned_by_working_remote#c_rpoimx
I’ve been working remote for 10 years, and spend the 10 previous years in an office. Not sure I know what I wish I knew 10 years ago, but here’s my best shot.
Things that quickly became obvious:
- Go to your home office like you would a normal office: take a shower, dress in non-pajamas, get coffee, etc
- Have a designated working space: a dedicated room or part of a room with a desk and file cabinets and stuff - make it so you are happy to be there
- Force it into your brain and routine that home interruptions are not allowed: no snacks and no TV!
Some stuff that takes practice:
- Distributed team communication is not an easy problem to solve, experiment with tools and find something that works for everyone
- Keep normal working hours and watch your health: get exercise, don’t be working at 11pm, draw boundaries, take real sick days if you need them
- Be prepared to travel to meet your team at least twice a year and possibly more. Make the best of the time when you are traveling.
Some expert-level school-of-hard-knocks stuff:
- If the rest of the company is mostly non-distributed, you have to work harder than others to be heard and respected
- Do whatever you need to stave off loneliness. It gets lonely, deal with it.
- You very well may be passed over for promotions if you’re not in an office, even if you’re the best person for the job
- You’ll be more productive and satisfied in the long run than all those suckers working in open-plan offices. Relish this and don’t take it for granted.
https://lobste.rs/s/by7kff/what_have_you_learned_by_working_remote#c_7s8nav
- Overcommunicate - the benefits outweigh the costs. You may sound repetitive, but having everyone be clear and on the same page is a huge win.
- Get out of the house/apt - whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, social interaction in real life is important. Get out and hang out with people.
- Find a routine that works for you - and stick to it. If working out is important to you, schedule it into the day.
- Set boundaries - let your teammates know you’re on from e.g. 10am to 8pm. Enforce this. For example I do not have Slack on my phone.
- Sequester your workspace - don’t work in the bedroom. Your brain learns and will start to associate the bedroom with work, stress, bugs, Jira, etc.