Understanding the Remote Work Discussion

The debate about remote work isn’t really about productivity. It’s about control. I’ve watched with a blend of horror and sadness as more and more leaders mandate employees to return to the office, implement Big-Brother monitoring software, or create elaborate hybrid policies—all while insisting it’s about collaboration or culture. Beneath these justifications often lies a deeper truth: When leaders can’t see what their people are doing, they get anxious about losing control. The irony is that the more control leaders try to exercise, the less engaged their employees become. The more leaders surveil their employees and treat them like children, the more trust and motivation erode. And the more employees act like rebellious children. Years ago, I had these same fears about people who worked at The Energy Project. Would they work as effectively if they didn’t come to the office every day? What I realized is that their effectiveness wasn’t determined by the number of hours they put in. It was about the quality of their attention during the hours they did work and the results they got. Treat people as adults, and they’re likely to act like adults. I have never let an employee go for working too little. Today, all of the employees at The Energy Project work remotely, and I think they’re more productive than ever—not least because they’re more in control of their lives. The solution for companies doesn’t start with finding the perfect hybrid policy (or banning work from home altogether). It starts with addressing the fears and assumptions that drive our need for control in the first place. And with testing the assumption that they can’t be trusted, and assess them on the work they produce.  Swipe through to discover a different approach.

Remote work isn’t the problem, but forcing a return-to-office mandate blindly might be. Lack of work measurement may be your issue, not the work location. And if you're not measuring the work, you're not ready to mandate the office. - I’ve seen it in my employees. - I’ve seen it in my customers. - I’ve seen it in my prospects. - I’ve seen it in my own family. Most remote workers aren’t slacking off. - They start earlier. - They stay later. - They answer emails at night. - They build decks, close deals, write code, and prep board slides on weekends, because their work matters to them. So before you issue a sweeping return-to-office mandate, ask yourself: - Do you really understand the volume of work getting done? - Can you confidently speak to the quality of output? - Are you adequately considering factors other than presence? If not, don’t mistake visibility for productivity. Mandating a commute to feel more “in control” might actually REDUCE output, especially from your top performers. Here’s a better path: - Measure outcomes, not office attendance - Acknowledge the effort being delivered from home - Reserve in-office time for what it’s best at: connection, collaboration, and culture If you can clearly and precisely quantify a reduction in output since deploying work-at-home policies, you should deeply analyze the root cause before changing policies. You may be surprised by what you find. Return-to-office shouldn’t be about power and face time. It should be about purpose.

Since going remote 11 years ago, I’ve: - Walked my kids to school nearly every day - Moved every 2 years (LA, NYC, Dublin) - Worked at companies like I Will Teach, Reforge, Noom & Persefoni Remote work has been a game-changer for my career. But too often, the remote work conversation is all cheerleading and celebration. Yes, flexibility is incredible. But let’s be real—remote work isn’t a magic fix. It has hidden costs. Here are six 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 of remote work that rarely get discussed: 1️⃣ 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝘁𝗵𝗲-𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 I learned the MOST by watching top performers handle deals, calls, and high-pressure moments. That kind of organic learning is harder to replicate remotely. 👉 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: Seek out high performers. Ask for feedback. Shadow colleagues via recorded calls. 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗙𝗛 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 You sit down to work. Then you see laundry. Then dishes. Then a quick errand. Before you know it, 30 minutes of deep work are gone. 👉 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: Use Do Not Disturb mode. Batch household tasks into breaks. Block distractions. 3️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸’𝘀 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 A client once told me: “𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.” Without casual office conversations, it’s easy to get overlooked for promotions. 👉 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: Speak up in meetings. Over-communicate your wins. Build visibility intentionally. 4️⃣ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 A friend landed a remote job in 2022. Loved the flexibility. But when layoffs hit, he realized: 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲. 👉 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: Reconnect with old colleagues. Set up networking calls. Proactively reach out to people. 5️⃣ 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 When I worked remotely in Ireland for a US company, my workday stretched across 𝟭𝟱 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀. No clear off-switch. 👉 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: Set non-work hours. Plan personal activities in advance. Create a shutdown routine. 6️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝘅 I remember pacing around Brooklyn, stuck on a project, feeling completely isolated. No feedback loop. No one to bounce ideas off. Just me in my own head. 👉 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: Build a small circle of trusted peers. Be intentional about offscreen socializing. Remote work is amazing—but 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁. The key is being intentional about managing these hidden costs so you can build a remote life that works for you. - My name is Chris Ming. Follow for tips to land a remote job, go remote, and how to move your family abroad. #remotework #remoteworking #futureofwork

Remote work isn't just about where you work—it's about how you work. You can be 10x more effective on a remote team if you master a few key habits: ✅ Over-communicate, but be concise Clarity matters more than frequency. Say what’s needed, and say it clearly. ✅ Align before you act Check for shared understanding before diving into big tasks. Nothing wastes time like misaligned assumptions. ✅ Make your work visible Use docs, updates, or async tools to show progress—even when no one’s asking. ✅ Respect time zones (and your own time) Be flexible, but not a doormat. Set boundaries and honor others’ schedules, too. ✅ Own the outcome, not just the task Remote teams thrive when people think beyond checklists and focus on impact. ✅ Build trust through reliability Be the teammate who always follows through. Remote or not, trust is everything. ✅ Don’t forget to be human Drop a gif. Ask how someone's weekend was. Show up with personality. Culture still matters—maybe more than ever. Remote work isn't an excuse to fade into the background. It’s your opportunity to shine without ever stepping into a meeting room. What’s helped you be more effective remotely? #RemoteWork #AsyncWork #TeamCulture #WorkFromAnywhere #Productivity #LeadershipTips

Remote Work: The Battle for the Future of Work In 2020, the world changed overnight. Offices emptied, kitchen tables became desks, and we embarked on a global experiment in remote work. The results? Surprising to many: productivity surged, employees found balance, and companies saved on overhead costs. But fast forward to today, and a curious phenomenon is unfolding: the push to bring workers back to the office. Why? Collaboration? Culture? Or something more telling—control? Let’s start with the data. Remote workers are often more productive than their in-office peers. They’re happier, less stressed, and frequently more attuned to their work. Yet some executives remain unconvinced, insisting on in-office mandates, claiming that physical presence is the key to innovation. But here’s the irony: these same companies still rely on Zoom for meetings because their teams are spread across cities or continents. For most large organizations, the idea of a single HQ is outdated—so why is “returning to the office” such a hill to die on? The answer lies in psychology, not productivity. The push to return isn’t about efficiency or collaboration. It’s about control. There’s a lingering belief, especially in the C-suite, that employees must be “watched” to perform. Despite clear evidence that remote work works, many leaders are clinging to old models simply because it feels safer to them. And the cost? Talent loss, disillusioned workers, and diminished profits. But let’s look ahead. What’s next? 1. The Hybrid Compromise: Companies will experiment with hybrid models, giving employees the flexibility they crave while maintaining some in-office presence. Those that get the balance right will win the talent wars. 2. The Rise of Progressive Employers: Organizations that embrace remote work as a competitive advantage will attract top talent. Those that resist? They’ll face higher attrition and struggle to innovate. 3. Technology Takes Center Stage: Expect an explosion of investment in collaboration tools, AI-driven workflows, and virtual environments designed to bridge the gap between remote and in-office work. 4. Cultural Backlash: The resentment is growing. Employees are questioning why they’re commuting to an office only to Zoom with teammates. A reckoning is coming for organizations that prioritize control over trust. The Future Belongs to the Flexible Remote work isn’t just a passing trend; it’s a revolution in how we think about productivity, trust, and leadership. Companies that thrive in this new era will be the ones that adapt—not the ones that dig in their heels. So, what about you? Are you thriving in remote work, or frustrated by return-to-office policies? What do you think is driving this push back to in-person work? Let’s spark a real conversation—drop your thoughts below! WorkingNation

Remote work didn’t ruin work. It revealed the parts that were already broken. In the office, you could get by without: → Documenting real processes → Communicating clearly and consistently → Thinking through async vs "another quick meeting" → Creating real transparency around who’s doing what and why But remote work? Remote work doesn’t let the BS slide. If your systems are weak, your communication sloppy, or your expectations fuzzy... It shows. Fast. Here’s the reality: - 59% of employees say poor communication is their biggest barrier to productivity. - 40%+ of remote workers say unclear processes slow them down more than any tool or technology issue. - Teams with strong documentation practices are 23% more likely to hit their performance goals. Remote work forces teams to work better: Clearer. Sharper. Smarter. And honestly? That’s exactly what companies should have been doing all along. That’s why conferences like Running Remote matter. Because the future of work isn't about where you sit. It’s about building systems strong enough that location doesn't matter anymore. Alignment. Clarity. Connection. That's the real future of work. The week is upon us...Running Remote starts now!!!! Sources: 1. Pumble Workplace Communication Statistics 2023 2. GitLab Remote Work Report 2021 3. Buffer State of Remote Work 2023 #RemoteWork #DistributedTeams #RunningRemote #InternalComms #KnowledgeManagement

If you lead a distributed team or want a deeper understanding of the forces at play in the RTO/future of work space, start with a breakthrough model: SCARF. Reactions to mandates around where you work and how work fits into your personal Purpose Portfolio are varied. You see everything from anger to acquiescence. All of this can be explained by recognizing that behavior in social scenarios tie back to just five key domains. 🆂 — Status 🅲 — Certainty 🅰 — Autonomy 🆁 — Relatedness 🅵 — Fairness Neuroscience research indicates that these five domains trigger the same threat or reward responses in our brain that we rely on for physical survival. This explains the intensity of the reactions you're seeing, or perhaps are experiencing yourself. For example... ⚠️ When in-office colleagues have superior access to people and information, a Status trigger flips from reward to threat. ⚠️ When you aren't clear about where someone can put down roots, a Certainty trigger flips from reward to threat. ⚠️ When you remove someone's abililty to choose where they perform, an Autonomy trigger flips from reward to threat. ⚠️ When you don't action survey results, a Relatedness trigger flips from reward to threat. ⚠️ When you take agency away, a Fairness trigger flips from reward to threat. If an organizational system is built to create threatened workers, why should leaders expect high performance? 👏 Kudos to David Rock for articulating this model in Your Brain at Work. #remote #remotework #remoteteams #remoteoffice #workfromanywhere #workingathome #wfh #leadership #remotelife #distributedteams #workathome #futureofwork #workfromhome #workingremotely #remoteworkforce #leadershipskills #talent #operations #team #culture #workplace #workplacedesign #organizationaldesign #learning #humanresources #hr #people #peopleoperations #SCARF #neuroscience #science #rto #mandates #msod

Remote work isn’t just a perk—it’s a performance driver. According to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report, fully remote workers are the most engaged globally—outperforming hybrid and on-site peers in how connected they feel to their work. Autonomy, flexibility, and the ability to play to one’s strengths all contribute to this lift in engagement. But here’s the catch: higher engagement doesn’t always mean higher wellbeing. Remote workers also report more stress, loneliness, and emotional fatigue compared to hybrid or on-site teams. At Partners Federal Credit Union—and thanks to years of learning from research—we’ve embraced this nuance: Engagement fuels performance ----> Wellbeing sustains it The lesson? It’s not enough to enable remote work—we must design it intentionally. That means supporting autonomy and connection. Flexibility and community. Thanks to the scholars, practitioners, and research gurus for keeping sunlight on data that helps leaders build workplaces where people can do their best work and live their best lives. #RemoteWork #EmployeeEngagement #WellbeingAtWork #Gallup #FutureOfWork #Leadership #EmployeeExperience https://lnkd.in/gQYdtPbn

💥 Is the RTO push a power move? 💥 New research shows that in-office mandates often come from a drive for power and control. 👉 Is your RTO strategy driven by data and a desire for collaboration or something else? KEY POINTS: 💼 RTO mandates may be driven more by a desire for power and control than productivity. 💼 Remote work shows 22 percent more focused time than in-office work. 💼 Enforced RTO policies have been linked to lower employee satisfaction with no clear financial gain. In the evolving landscape of workplace dynamics, the trend towards revoking employee flexibility and mandating returns to the office (RTO) is gaining traction among corporations, as evidenced by significant players like Boeing and UPS enforcing near-full-week office attendance. Leaders often cite the enhancement of productivity and financial outcomes as the driving force behind these decisions. This trend raises questions, especially given the growing body of evidence supporting the advantages of flexible work arrangements in terms of productivity, employee engagement, and organizational growth. Recent research led by Professor Mark Ma from the University of Pittsburgh, indicates that the push for RTO is more closely associated with managerial desires for control and a tendency to attribute organizational underperformance to the workforce rather than evidence-based strategies aimed at enhancing corporate value. What Does the Data on Productivity Show? Contrary to the prevalent narrative, the extensive data on flexible working arrangements illustrate significant benefits. Recent studies, including Atlassian’s “Lessons Learned: 1,000 Days of Distributed at Atlassian” and Hubstaff’s detailed analysis of remote work productivity, provide compelling evidence that challenges long-held beliefs about the efficacy of traditional office environments. Atlassian’s groundbreaking report, drawing on data from 200 CEOs from Fortune 500 and 1000 companies, delivers an unexpected verdict. It turns out that a requirement for in-person work has minimal impact on productivity. Such findings call into question the longstanding assumption that physical colocation is synonymous with effective collaboration and output. Hubstaff’s extensive research takes this conversation a step further. The data reveal that remote employees dedicate a substantial portion of their work week to focus undisturbed on tasks, surpassing their office-based peers by a considerable margin. Read More Psychology Today: https://lnkd.in/g8xUzv-N #hybridworking #employeeexperience #management