I’ve long been enamored of the idea of working from anywhere. These days, that seems boringly quotidian but just a few years ago it was a radical idea fiercely resisted by the type of manager who believed that unless you could peer over a worker’s shoulder you couldn’t really manage them.
Still, as much as I like the idea and thrive under it, it’s definitely not for everyone. Even more importantly, it’s non-trivial for companies that want to embrace the idea to get it right.
Viktor Petersson has a decade’s experience both working remotely and managing others who do so. He’s written a nice post that explores what he’s learned from a decade of remote working. The post takes the point of view of both the remote worker and his manager. His first point is that the experience is not for everyone. Some workers simply lack the discipline to work remotely. Others miss the face-to-face social interaction with their colleagues.
For those can deal with working remotely, there are many benefits. They save a lot of time commuting that can be spent on more productive activities. Perhaps more importantly, it lets them get a full night’s sleep with all the benefits that brings to both the employee and employer.
The other side of that coin is that companies can’t have it both ways. They must either commit to remote work entirely or not at all. The problem with trying to have it both ways is that the “office workers” come to enjoy a privileged position at the expense of the remote workers.
Those companies that do opt for a remote work force get to choose from a much larger talent pool than those trying to hire locally. Still, in-person interaction is important and Petersson stresses the necessity to have regular face-to-face encounters.
If you’re thinking of working remotely or of managing remote workers, you should definitely give Petersson’s post a read. He’s got a lot of good advice.