A Greater Appreciation of Remote Work.

I work remotely, and I have also managed people who work remotely. Managing remote workers came first, and this was back in the day when remote work was less accepted.  Leaders of organizations needed to be convinced that this arrangement would work.  Not many people were given this opportunity, as productivity was always questioned.  

My remote employee (and friend), Kathy, and I would talk about how remote work was going and there were key items that she mentioned that have stuck with me for years. As I was listening to her, I heard what she said but really couldn't appreciate truly how all of this felt, being on her end.  She said she sometimes felt forgotten by the team - out of sight, out of mind.  The team would forget to invite her to meetings or ask her opinion, because she wasn't around the office.  She often talked about how annoying it was to be on a conference call when everyone else was in the room, chatting and laughing, all at the same time, at some remark or joke she couldn’t even hear over the conference line.  It was sometimes hard to follow meetings and contribute (this was pre-video conference).   On the positive side, she had a remarkable structure to her day, which she felt was the key to her success.  She got dressed every day for work and had her day planned out down to her break times in the morning and afternoon.  She was productive, and I trusted her.

When I first started working remotely about 5 years ago, I recalled what she said, as I could now relate to it much better.  I had always appreciated her, but I learned to appreciate her even more for navigating these waters and succeeding at a time when this was not seen very much.  I see her as a pioneer for getting this right, and she deserves a lot of credit for it that I probably did not give her back then.  I know I've been forgotten and have not been invited to meetings that I probably should have been attending.  I completely relate to what she meant about conference calls with lots of laughter that seems to last forever.  And I learned how important structure is to my day and my productivity.

One little thing that I did back when I managed remote workers was I sent them a restaurant gift card every time we had an in person team meeting with lunch provided, which they could not attend. Otherwise, they missed out on lunch, which was provided as a thank you to the team, and I felt they should be included because they are also part of the team.  I never wanted them to feel forgotten or any less appreciated.

For those who are new to working at home, do you have a new appreciation for those who work remotely?  Is it what you thought it would be? Do you think you could do it full time?