I’m a happy full remote worker since april of 2019, and everyone asks me what is my secret : should I tell them it’s actually harassing my coworkers with funny gifs and unasked information ?
Well, it’s a refined mix of happy loneliness, love of being cosy and quiet at home, and a continuous communication through work chats. I never wait for people to come speak to me, and give them my intel or personal view before they ask or thought of it.
In real life this would turn out horribly bothersome, but through a chat, people will read the messages when they think it’s the good moment to do so.
I find phone call really less efficient for this type of continuous contact as they serve as a shortcut only for very specific and urgent matters – they don’t give any breath of air to think about the issues before answering back.
I’m always taking a step back and watching through the boards where the team is headed to, and who’s doing what (Scrum rituals also helping there) which allow me to proactively give and ask information.
I also encouraged through my online very active presence a more consistent team usage of the instant messaging tool, and pushed the usage of memes, emojis and gifs to a good measure.
It gave birth to a “random anything” dedicated channel, where we can be more ourselves and less professional, which keep our human flaws and failures as a sane subject of humor, quickly cutting any misunderstanding or drama.
So, what are the benefits ?
Everything.
It’s crystal clear that being able to live near the sea in a cosy home for half the price of a big city is number one on my list, but I also very much enjoy having the time and silence to think for myself, and organize my time the more efficient way for me.
Going back to big cities, walking in a hurry and taking 2 buses to get at the last minute to an event seems even more stressful now. Fortunately, it’s for the greater good and to get done interesting jobs.
Look, I just did it this week :
eyend 