Recently, the folks at Google published their findings from a two year study they conducted on remote work. The company is certainly in a good position to study this, as a full 30% of the meetings held there involve at least two time zones. The report published, ‘Working Together When We’re Not Together’ had some interesting insights that both remote workers and employers considering a remote arrangement for their teams should know about. [...]
When teams work together in a single location, they have the opportunity to connect with one another through daily interactions and microinteractions. They stop by one another’s desks to chat. They may even socialize outside of work. These connections can act as a buffer when more difficult conversations must occur. For example, it’s easier to point out a mistake or critique an idea when all parties involved have a history of goodwill. [...]
If a team or organization is new to remote work, there may be hesitance to acknowledge any problems. After all, nobody wants to be part of the team that caused management to reconsider allowing employees to work remotely. However, it’s imperative that teams do just that. Just like each team must be free to establish their own communications methods, tools and standards, they must also feel comfortable acknowledging any roadblocks they face.
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