Lots of companies call themselves remote-friendly without actually being remote-friendly.

Sure, you may run your company remotely. But, do you ask your team to install invasive tracking software? Attend meetings every 20 minutes (or worse... require them to be in one call all day)? Base their activity on an online/offline indicator? Encourage 24/7 activity? That doesn't sound very friendly.

Remote work requires a different rulebook. I'm not going to pretend we have the perfect formula. Still, as someone that did freelance stuff for a while and then formed a company on the premise of being remote-focused, we have definitely learned what works well vs. what leads to chaos.

First and foremost, cut the invasive tracking software. When your team is at home, they're likely already working their own schedule. So many will drop off their kids during the day, run to the grocery store, or get a coffee with their significant other. And that should be totally okay. Time tracking software is only going to tell you when your team isn't following some pre-set schedule that you deem is correct, and maybe that's not how they work best.

Base performance on why they're working with you at all: the end results. Suppose you're seeing consistent completion of assigned work on time, efficient in their communication, and are someone you can rely on. In that case, why should it matter if they went to grab a coffee quick? Similar can be stated for tracking "online" status time or reprimanding team members because they go away/idle for too long. If stuff gets done, then they're on track.

Fewer meetings, more async comms. At Melon, we use Basecamp to run everything. We used to use Slack, but it just felt like it had the same problem as meetings -- if you stopped being available for more than 30 seconds, you immediately are out of the loop. Suppose something is important enough to warrant a meeting. In that case, it should probably be noted and written somewhere for everyone to reference. Sure, quick discussions can be solid in a 1:1 or small team scenario. But, there isn't a need to interrupt the days of 20+ people for simple talks or feedback rounds.

For Basecamp, we use the "Message Board" feature to write up what we feel is essential. Then, everyone can comment, react, or upload files that are relevant to the conversation. Everyone can check in on what's going on, see what's new, and provide their insight when it works for them. Again, if everything is getting done on time and on schedule, there should be no problem. Meetings interrupt the day, Message Boards compliment it. For those without Basecamp, designated email threads for these sorts of things work great, as do Google Docs w/ comments enabled.

Finally, support a healthy work-life balance. It can be a HUGE challenge for many to have the self-control to know when to "turn off." But with remote work, burnout is a genuine problem. Encourage your team to set up Do Not Disturb or Quiet Mode on their work apps for when they're "after-hours." Suppose they need to work late, great. In that case, they'll still see your content because they're online anyway. If they're not, they can still be reached by phone/text, just like they would be in a traditional office environment. Formal in-person environments don't obligate you to be signed in to your work activity 24/7, so your remote company shouldn't either.

We have a unique opportunity to support remote work entirely when more people are doing it than ever. As a result, we can make some fantastic strides to ensure it's an excellent addition and alternative to traditional environments. 

Normalize remote-friendliness.

- Devon