How to show up remotely

We don’t have to go into detail about why remote working is a thing now, but what we do need to address is how to be better at it.

This post will detail the issues with remote working, and ways in which to show up to make it better

Some Context

For the past 3 years I have embraced remote working in many ways

• Within country
• Internationally in the same time zone
• Across time zones, -9 outside of work being the worst

I have seen the evolution of tools, deadlines, and relationships through all of this and the one thing that keeps failing teams is showing up. What I mean is doing the work without having to be managed, or go down the path to being micromanaged. What does this mean?

The lack of context

No matter where I’ve worked the biggest frustration seems to come from the misalignment on deadlines or who is responsible for certain elements of a task. This leads to a moment in time where there is a bit of panic, and a last minute push to get something over the line. I believe that this is due to a lack of context.

When we’re working on a project, or have multiple things happening during the week, we usually get these moments where we need help or more clarity. You start to run through what it is you need to achieve, and in your mind you draft scenarios of how to get to that point. You then start a slack or email with, “hey, I need x and y for client B”. This is where the drama, in most cases, begins.

From this simple ask the recipient of the message needs to decode what you’re asking, and if they don’t know the answer they will either delay you or drag out the conversation through multiple hours to get context. You might even get frustrated and spend more hours trying to find the answer yourself, or worst, go solo without the advice.

here is an example.

This is familiar in a lot of settings I have worked in, and I am hoping you can relate to it too. The lack of context with the initial message leads to a lot of time wasted trying to understand it.

It might have been better to do something like this:

There is a massive difference in how the two are structured, and the second example makes it easier for the recipient to act with less to no clarifying questions. It might take longer to craft, but in the long term it makes remote working easier, and wastes less time.

The ideal win-win work around is by sending messages (video/audio is always better than text) that provide context from where the ask is coming from and providing reasons as to why it’s important. The former lets the receiver understand the question, whilst the latter lets that same person go through options which might already have documented solutions/links/platforms to assist.

My one line take away: Provide context to your manager or team on the daily, or worst case scenario weekly.

The case for video calls and tools

When it comes to client/external calls my rule of thumb is to always start with your video on. It sets the mood, it shows you’re there, and lets the other party know that this is worth showing up for. If the client refuses to put their video on (”bad internet connection in 2023”), you can make a call to put yours off. I usually don’t, and 70% of the time the client feels guilty and theirs comes on too (usually 15 minutes into the call).

I think it’s equally important to note that not all client calls need to be calls. If having a video on or off does not make a difference, it might as well be a “podcast” they can listen to or video they can watch. I mean let’s be honest here, when the video is off, and no screen is being shared our clients/team mates are doing something else anyways. Experiment with this logic and deliver content or information to the client in a new way. I would also encourage you to let managers know that whilst meetings are important, they don’t need to be as frequent if you have supplementary content.

For internal calls your video should be on when the conversation is meant to be taken seriously. I would argue that this includes 1:1s, reviews, performance related issues, or company wide calls. For things that are for team work, brain storming, walk throughs and the like, I don’t think it’s necessary.

It should also be mentioned that tools like loom help in a massive way to reduce the need for long emails or internal meetings to walk through things. I use Loom almost daily and it’s a game changer with the use of my time. It will take me 10 minutes to set up, record, and send something that is viewed at the receipts leisure (even if they are cooking). The point to make here is that remote work does not have to be live, as long as we’re communicating at our best.

To be Asynchronous or Synchronous?

Synchronous does not mean more meetings, it simply means you can collaborate at the touch of a button.

Asynchronous does not mean being or working alone. It means that there is a lot of trust instilled into our teams to be independent and get into flow states on their terms. So if you can respect time zones and schedule content to hit other teams inbox at the right time, you’re going t be just fine.

The most important element of remote work is that you agree on times to be both synchronous and asynchronous and respect those boundaries.

The dark side of remote working

If you are unable to manage work streams, and deliver things on time, you’re going to be micromanaged. There is simply no way out of this.

Here is a table of common actions and how they start to foster toxic remote relationships and strain teams:

Expensive meetings

Here is an example for salaries of various positions, and what they cost per hour (assuming 160 hours a month)

Here are various situations for meetings with different people and how much it all costs

This exercise is a great barometer to question your own use of time, but also the effectiveness/ROI of meetings that have too many people on them. We can all relate to having people not contribute to a discussion, or even having ourselves question why we are there. The purpose of this is to show you an element of remote work that is all too common, wasted time.

This meme describes it best:

Conclusion

I think remote work is great, in fact I really want to continue doing it for as long as I can. I will, however, ensure that I do meet with clients and network in person where I can too.

As we continue to fuse remote/in person we should see remote leaders rise, high performance individuals get more in demand, and those who know how to use SaaS tools become more valuable. Working remotely can be a challenge for sales teams, but it is possible to work better and thrive in a remote environment. By embracing technology, prioritizing communication, and fostering team culture, remote sales teams can maintain productivity, build relationships, and achieve success.

I would love to hear your feedback on this, comment below or send thoughts to @AdrianTweetSki