Notes from REMOTE by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

At the Entrepreneurs Foundation, we decided to read Jason’s Fried’s (founder Basecamp) new book for our own guidance and so we could share with others. REMOTE: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.

Sharing our quick takeaways about working remotely, boosting productivity, and learning to thrive in the home office.

When it comes to leadership…

• Ensure all employees have access to technological tools to ensure success. This can range from access to the internet to office chairs to a webcam.
• Create a culture of “reasonable expectations”. Expect the typical 40 hours/week but don’t reward those for putting in more. Make sure everyone is pacing themselves.
• Be on the lookout for workers who may be overworking themselves and intervene to avoid burnout or faulty work. Set the tone by not overworking yourself either.
• Do regular one-on-one check-ins. Keep it casual and stick to small vs. large updates that would otherwise require a formal meeting.

When it comes to team culture…

• Create a “virtual watercooler”, a chat room for people to interact as they would throughout the day. This gives the person control of their social interactions for a “quality waste of time”.
• Begin a daily or weekly discussion thread. Prompts can be serious, “What are you working on?” or light-hearted, “What’s for lunch today?”.

When it comes to productivity…

• Create an ergonomic workspace. This means a good chair, proper desk height, and as many screens necessary.
• Build a routine to help ease into work mode. Don’t forget to include meals, breaks, and light exercise (standing up to stretch counts).
• Divide the day into chunks such as “serious work”, “catch-up”, “collaboration”, and so on.
• If possible, use specific parts of your living space for different activities. Ex. use office for major projects, kitchen for phone calls, backyard for catch-up.
• Instead of basing your productivity on whether you worked 8 hours, base it on a question to yourself, “Have I done a good day’s work?”.