These are the top 5 objections people have told me about why they dislike working remotely and my responses.
“I get lonely.”
Working remotely means you will need to supplement your social needs outside of work. Connect with your local community. This might mean taking a group fitness class or volunteering for a cause you value. If you desire more professional social connections, search for local meetup groups. There probably are people just like you who desire to connect with other enthusiasts and experts in your town. If it doesn’t exist, consider starting it.
Not everyone feels lonely when working remotely. Managers should not force more interaction on people who do not need it. Individuals need to be proactive in their own wellbeing and sensitive to the different needs of others.
If managers receive this feedback broadly, they should consider creating the time and space for more synchronous social time. See my “Togetherness Time” article.
“I like being around people.”
Some people feel energized by being surrounded physically by activity. For many others, it is a distraction. This preference is the remote worker’s responsibility to address, not the employers’. If you prefer to be around other people physically, try renting a co-working space or working in welcoming coffee shops when you do not need to participate in meetings. No one likes the person who unmutes themself to deafening background noise. The people in the cafe don’t like the person talking loudly to a screen either.
Some people find ambient sounds of a cafe are enough to trigger the feeling they get from working in a cafe.
“I never stop working.”
A fully-formed adult is capable of setting boundaries. If you go looking for work to do, you will always find it. If you are not able to meet your work obligations in the expected working hours, discuss this with your manager.
Set a schedule. Declare what you will work on for every 25-minute block of your day. Give yourself 5 minutes every half hour to stretch, go to the restroom, drink water, and not look at a screen. When your schedule is over, turn off your push notifications and recharge.
If you are able to work asynchronously, break up your day. Enjoy your lunch away from the screen. Take a longer break every 90 minutes to walk, workout, meditate, or even do a quick chore. Then, get back to your schedule.
“I can’t focus and I’m distracted.”
Curt Steinhorst, author of Can I Have Your Attention?, said that “distraction is actually just confusion about what matters.”
Check out the tips for fighting the urge to multitask, letting go of what you cannot control, and warming up your brain in this FastCompany article.
“Watercooler serendipity is required for innovation.”
Open office layouts and watercooler encounters are innovation strategies of Hollywood storylines, not the real world. If your company’s innovation strategy relies on happenstance encounters instead of methodical experimentation, the company is doomed.
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Thousands of creators are using it to find a better business model than invasive online ads or dedicated subscriptions—including me and my site!
Why charge for 2 articles?
This zine took over 100 hours to create. 100% of the primary ideas I wanted to share are free. I wrote 2 bonus articles as a thanks to people who support my work.