Remote work: how we do it

I worked remotely for almost 10 years, and I learned the different aspects of such work: both good and bad. I realized that remote work is suitable for a certain type of people. You must be able to focus, motivate yourself, and also competently manage your time. You do not have these qualities? Nothing, at first I didn’t know anything about it either.

There is no director nearby, no one asks to make the site "more fashionable." If the weather is nice outside, you can go for a walk, take food at a computer, answer a couple of letters, move a couple of pixels, then go to the gym. At first, for me, it was all in order. Of course, I didn’t always do that. I would not be who I am, if I had “hammered” to work all the time. It’s just that I didn’t have any work schedule, according to which office workers usually live, which makes the work more productive.

Remote work can be very difficult. You need to set a strict schedule for yourself and choose the right tools so that your dream of working remotely does not turn into a nightmare.

Schedule

" Time-boxing " has changed my life. I made it a rule, on Sunday, after lunch, to set tasks for the next week, so that every hour was taken into account, including time for walks and a gym. This allowed me to focus on each task and not worry about what I would have to do next.

Thus, I developed a certain rhythm, which allowed me to avoid unforeseen overtime loads. I came to the conclusion that work at home is not housework: you cannot wash, clean the garage, mow the lawn. Are you at work. When was the last time you were in the office when you heard from Jim that he had to interrupt to go home and wash the dishes? I think never. All the time, imagine that you are in the office, and solve extraneous matters outside of working hours.

Now inFocus Lab , my weeks are on schedule. But I continue to record every week the time spent on the design, to be sure that all the tasks are done. We have a project manager, and she lets us know when we forget something. Fortunately, working remotely, she cannot crack my head, but from time to time in HipChat I get epicfail.gif.

Tools

For remote work, additional tools are required, in addition to Adobe CS. When you work with a team such as Focus Lab, or with several teams at the same time as a freelancer, collaboration tools become critical. You must always be available during business hours and promptly answer questions.

At Focus Lab, we use the GoToMeeting video platform, both for communication with the client, and for internal meetings. This allows you to personally interact with our clients and colleagues (such as myself) who are not in the office. You will be surprised how much the video brings together. I only had a chance to meet with Sam a few months later when he started working at Focus, but since we talked on GoToMeeting it seemed like we had known each other for a long time and saw each other every day.

Another invaluable tool that allows us to be in touch is HipChat. If you are reading this, please pause and download HipChat. In my opinion, this is the best product for collaborative remote work. In it we have a project, company and personal rooms: everything in order to share interesting finds, cat gifs, memes from our GTM meetings, etc. This is our virtual office. Sometimes even something related to work happens here;)

Home Office

Super important: your office should be where you want to go every day. It is you, your computer, maybe a couple of cats, and also your thoughts. If your work is boring, and the office looks like a prison cell, you will be constantly depressed, and the only achievement for the day will be a lawn trimmed by you. The interior of my office is very different from the rest of the house: skateboards, a board for sketching ideas, a ceramic deer head, etc. hang on the wall. Make sure your office is a place where you can spend 8 hours a day.

Freedom of movement

Try to leave your home office when the opportunity arises. Hermitism is not a myth. And if you have a chance to go work with your team or on the client side - do it. This is not necessary, but keep in mind that direct communication with people increases the productivity of team members. This is a great occasion to take off your pajamas and take a shower. Even if I'm half productive when I work in the Focus Lab office (see our Instagram, our Nerf wars, Planking contests, and other jokes), I look forward to those days when I can pat Bill on the shoulder and ask him about something, or get advice on growing a beard in person from Matt. In truth, these face-to-face meetings and workweeks in general provide a successful remote work experience.

In conclusion

Remote work is not for everyone. To be honest, I would be happy to work in the office every day, hanging out with the Focus Lab team, and working together without a computer between us. But my reality has its advantages. If I want to turn off all communications and design a few hours without distractions, I can do it. I can see my family throughout the day, and not just in the mornings and evenings. I do not spend time in public transport and traffic jams, which gives much more valuable time for work.

Do you work at home? I would be happy to hear how you deal with various obstacles inherent in remote work!

PS Thanks for the help in translating karaboz