DeepDive on The Remote Workspace Utopia

Optimum problem-solving starts with ‘what is the current and desired state and what changes need to be met’ rather than starting with ‘why and how’

Good managers identify the problem, reevaluate expectations, and trust that they have a team of experts to solve the problem

• Don’t manage your time, manage your energy.  
• If you dread or hate meetings, you’re not reevaluating the desired effects from your meetings
• If your energy feels depleted after a meeting, it’s highly likely everyone else does too
• Don’t let anyone else manage your time; scheduling assistants put your peers/colleagues time at risk
• The small buffer time that it takes for an assistant to communicate a meeting change is wasting the other meeting attendants’ time. For that small buffer time, the two parties have different expectations of how the upcoming time will be spent.

Focus on ‘what is the current and desired state and what changes need to be met’ before any discussion of ‘why and how’

• The meetings with your engineers should be very quick. Identify the problem, reevaluate expectations, and trust that they are the experts.
• You’ll never be able to identify all the problems you may encounter, don’t let the probability of a problem discount the goal

• Good communication in remote environments don’t start with a question, they start with the question and potential options of a solution
• People work when they want to work while still meeting all expectations
• People got a taste of the flexibility to optimize their family time (or other priorities) and don’t want to give it up. And shouldn’t have to if they maintain work standards.
• Most jobs that can work remotely don’t really have the strict time boundaries that have existed in office settings for decades

Asynchronous Remote Work allows people to be working all across the world, all urgent things can be covered in appropriate standard work hours in the given location.

Recreating an office environment remotely is absurd.

• Lack of clarity in communication is leading to numerous issues; employees just want an answer of what the working model will be and evidence of pro/con for that model
• Employees have the power to negotiate their position more than ever now. If employees don’t see the value of being in the office, they will find a company that matches their values
• Constantly moving the goal post is more cost-inefficient than companies even realize

Many managers value power construct over productivity

‘Update meetings’ are extremely unproductive and usually just waste time and fulfil the manager’s micromanagement itch.

• Tools are overrated, contextual and thoughtful written content is more valuable than the tool
• Many employees are experiencing Zoom fatigue
• Having your video on on Zoom or Google Meet  is usually unnecessary, having it off can greatly reduce fatigue
• Slack should not be overused, otherwise, it turns into water-cooler environments or the micromanagement of your colleagues/peers