Remote Work: Long Term Strategy or Crisis Management Solution?

In this episode of The Work Well Podcast, we’re in conversation with Shauna Moran, a remote working consultant, and an accredited and award-winning coach. During her time working for a variety of technology and SaaS companies, Shauna started to interact with remote teams and to gain interest in the remote way of working. She then went back to university to study innovation management, where she based all of her research and thesis on remote teams. While studying and researching how remote teams can effectively scale and work together, Shauna also managed to apply this information in her day to day work. She realised people were experiencing the same issues she was and needed support. This is what drove her to establish her business, Operate Remote. 

She now focuses on the positive psychology around changing people's mindsets towards remote work and on coaching leaders to be effective long into the future as they continue to scale remotely. 

Companies are in different stages of evolution when it comes to remote work

As in any new situation, some are taking change well, and some are struggling. Shauna thinks there are a couple of ways of looking at where companies are. "The first step is the chaos stage. I think a lot of businesses have come out of that stage or I would hope that they have, that they've started accepting it." The second step is exactly that, accepting that this is the way people are going to work for the foreseeable future. Then the third step is starting to recognize the opportunities that remote working presents businesses, how it can even help them save money in the long term. Employees are happier and more engaged because they are working on a flexible schedule that suits them while also doing their job as usual if not better. Businesses can benefit from more self-motivated employees and from saving on the cost of office space.

 Nevertheless, this is not a typical environment, even for existing remote workers. Working in isolation means everyone has to put a pause on external activities, going to co-working spaces or coffee shops, and adapt to the new conditions. 

Small steps companies should take to keep employees engaged and motivated 

The first thing companies that are still in chaos mode should do is get a grasp of what technology and tools they can use and how they can use them. "So it's not a case that you need to be on zoom calls all day. It's not a case that you need to be communicating solely through slack and written communication. Still, it's understanding what conversations you need to have with your team and what tool can make you have those conversations in the most meaningful and effective way." Leaders need to tap into their empathy and listening skills to keep a good communication flow in their company. 

Another essential aspect Shauna mentions is establishing clear working agreements and policies for teams. Are there some core working hours that need to be put in place so that the team has time together online? A working agreement gives them the framework and a structure that people will need to work effectively. 

Leaders also have to understand that most people won’t be at 100% productivity straight away. "If you're not speaking to the people in your organisation, and you're not asking them those powerful questions, how can we best support you during this time? I know you have a lot going on right now, what is it that you need in order to do your work effectively? What's important to you right now? [...] Because if it's not resonating with your team, it's not going to be effective. So start by asking the right questions."

Remote working has a massive impact on productivity

"I think the main thing is that the focus with remote work is on output, not input.", Shauna says.

Remote workers tend to be more productive than their office counterpoints for several reasons. One is that they find it hard to switch off. Working from home, primarily alone means that people can do a lot of deep work without being distracted by office conversation or other factors. They are probably doing more work than they usually would on a typical day at the office. That is good, but how do they avoid falling into overworking? 

"I think one of the most important things that anybody can do now is to prioritize well being, and limit screen time as much as possible. [...] Analyze the work that you're doing on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. So start writing down the tasks that you have done, what you have completed. Because not only are you checking in with yourself and holding yourself accountable to a certain standard but you're holding yourself accountable to switching off at a certain time by looking at the amount of work you've completed."

Parenting while remote working: good practices and advice 

Shauna has seen several remote-first companies that do embrace that work-life balance. They understand that people manage a lot of other things besides work, so they offer parents flexibility around that. Shopify leverages people on the team and their artistic capabilities to entertain kids. "They did an online zoom call with all of their kids on drawing [...] It was a great way to embrace the fact that it's not like it was 10-15 years ago, where you come to work, and you've got one personality. We've been given a great opportunity now to see inside people's homes and see all of the things that go on in their lives. And I think it's a great opportunity for teams to come even closer together."

Another significant aspect Shauna points out is the importance of figuring out a routine. Having time to spend with the kids while also managing to set aside some hours a day for work can be difficult at first. The trick is for parents to stop putting pressure on themselves to work at the level they did before. When there is another partner involved, going through schedules together is the best way to make sure both parties can figure out a routine that works.

Due to the current situation, a large number of companies adapted their usual working habits to a remote working environment—many people now realise the benefits of this new way of doing their jobs. For one, they are saving so much commute time which they can now use to their advantage.

"What I would say to people is, make sure that you're leveraging this as an opportunity for yourself, to use the time to work on different projects or exercise or the things that maybe you didn't get a chance to do because you were commuting. So use that commute time in a new way now. Don't just work through that commute time. Use that commute time in a way that's really meaningful to you. And it is important.", Shauna stresses. 

Find out more about Operate Remote at operateremote.com or, if you have a business that is in chaos mode, reach out to Shauna Moran at info@operateremote.com.