Remote 1st is people 1st — 8 things we’ve learned about a new way of working
Pressure is only unbearable, when you think you’re the only one who’s experiencing it
Steve Hansen, record breaking New Zealand rugby coach
Over the last 18 months we’ve switched to a remote first model. This has allowed us to work with people from a wider variety of perspectives than would have ever been possible before. We’ve gone from being a London agency to having team members as far away as Bournemouth, Birmingham and Nottingham.
The more that we work in this way, the more we realise that our biggest risk is people feeling isolated. It’s hardly surprising — but it’s easy to miss given that we all spend 4–5 hours a day on calls with each other.
The impact of this feeling isn’t always obvious. Projects can be going along just fine — but there’s unseen mounting pressure on a single individual who feels it’s all down to them. This can lead to a breakdown of that individual’s mental health, not to mention big problems for the project.
If you’re part of a team then that pressure doesn’t disappear — but you feel the situation can be handled because you’re not alone. You can talk about the pressure itself, and the problems causing it and find solutions together — feeling the support of those that understand the situational context.
So how are we tackling this? Here’s a few things we’ve learned — but I’d love to hear what others are finding.
1. Make space to have broad conversations
Video calls can work to build relationships and trust between people so they feel more connected. However the vast majority of them have specific agendas that focus on a topic rather than the people involved.
These conversations need to happen, but don’t forget to make space for the broader discussions that help you understand the human beings you’re working with. A meeting without any agenda can feel scary for some — so find topics to talk about outside of the projects you’re working on. Whether it’s accessible design, another organisation’s work or the weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing — the excuse to have a broader discussion is critical to feeling part of a team.
2. Rubber ducking — exploring with people without your context
Rubber ducking is explaining a situation or topic as you would to a yellow toy rubber duck.
It serves to build understanding and connection — even if you’re not working on a project with someone. It’s a great excuse to get on a call with someone and sense-check your perspectives or decisions.
For some, the very act of talking through a situation helps them to unpick it and come up with solutions — whether it’s to a person or an inanimate object.
For a team, it’s much better to use these situations as an opportunity to build connections between people that might not spend a lot of time working together.
3. Vary your working location
Everyone needs a bit of variety in their working life. If you stay in the same place for too long, then it’s unhealthy for you — physically and mentally. Going into a different office location is a great way to break out of your normal routine.
When we first started considering this, we thought it was about getting a better place to do work — if you were stuck at the end of your bed with a laptop on your lap there’s no way you would be operating at your best.
However we now understand that simply the act of working from somewhere different, is hugely beneficial to your mental health — regardless of your day to day set up.
The tiny interactions on the way to this space, the people you meet when you’re there or the new view over your laptop all contribute to building your resilience.
4. Pick up the phone
Some people have actually found the switch to remote working brings them closer to their team members. They find it easier to have discussions now they can pick up the phone, than they would have sat in an office.
This only works if you actively pick up the phone though. Reach out to people you’re working with for a conversation that isn’t on video.
The format matters in this case — as it reduces the pressure to talk about a specific topic, as you can’t see each other. I don’t know why, but the lack of direct eye contact means for me that you end up going on more tangents and rabbit holes — which is where the good stuff is.
5. Walk and talk
Picking up the phone whilst both of you are walking is a shortcut to conversations that get out of your day to day discussions. By changing your physical view point, it’s easier to change your mental framing of things.
Get into the great outdoors and use the opportunity to find out more about your colleagues, their challenges and what they’re excited about.
6. Find a way to talk about your colleagues’ mental health
When you work remotely it can be easier to hide deteriorating mental health from your colleagues, compared to the body language and verbal cues you’d see when sharing office space.
By employing a tool such as Spill — or simply asking people how they are, you can plug the information gap to some extent and focus peoples’ attention on those that are struggling.
[We’ve just started using Spill to monitor our own mental health and we’re hopeful it can be an avenue for some people to flag when they’re in trouble — but we’re under no illusions that it’ll work for everyone.]
7. Focus in person time on socialising rather than working
Coming together in a physical space is now a high investment situation, which you want to make the most of.
When we started working like this, we thought that this meant using the time like we used to — working on projects together.
However, the more we’ve done that, the more we’ve realised the importance of actually just talking to each other. One of our team said, “I’ve learnt more about X in an hour than I have working with him in 2 months”.
So we’re looking at how to use in person time to connect with each other. This doesn’t have to be in a pub or a restaurant. Museums, team walks, sightseeing — these can all help build shared experiences which in turn help us to understand each other better.
This isn’t about making friends (although that is a hopeful outcome) — it’s about investing in relationships that mean we can all do better work together.
8. Identify the tasks that can be done asynchronously
Spending time discussing topics is a valuable activity — however it is also a costly one. Taking time out of peoples’ diaries is expensive for them and you — so you need to ensure that time spent talking is productive.
Key to this is focussing simpler communication on tools that people can pick up and read as and when they need them.
This then means that time you do have together can be spent collaborating on solutions — getting into the trickier problems and building on one another’s ideas.
